Powered by Clarke ton, Aussies gain series win with third Test draw

Colombo, Sep.20 (ANI): Powered by Michael Clarke's 112, his first as Test captain, Australia drew the third Test against Sri Lanka and achieved a series win.

Led by opener Phillip Hughes (126), skipper Clarke (112) and Michael Hussey (93), Australia scored 488 in their second knock, leaving Sri Lanka an impossible victory target of 332.

The highlight of the Sri Lankan bowling attack was left arm spinner Rangana Herath, who claimed seven wickets for 157 runs in the Australian second innings.

Michael Hussey's aggregate of 463 runs in the series was the fourth-highest overall by a batsman in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka and the second-highest among visiting batsmen after Brian Lara's 688 runs in 2001-02.

Australia's total run aggregate on final day of the Colombo Test was the fourth time that it has scored over 400 in their second innings in Sri Lanka.

On the three previous occasions, they went on to win the Test.

Clarke scored his 15th century in Tests. It is also his first century since his 168 against New Zealand in March 2010.

Clarke scored 86 of his 112 runs in front of the wicket. In all, he hit 13 fours and three sixes.

The five fifty-plus partnerships in Australia's second innings was the joint second on the list of most fifty-plus stands for visiting teams in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan is on top, with six fifty-plus stands in Galle in 2000.

The 176-run stand between Hussey and Clarke was the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for Australia against Sri Lanka.

This is Sri Lanka's first defeat in a home series since the 1-0 loss to Pakistan in 2006. The previous series defeat in a three-match home series also came against Australia, in 2004, when they lost 3-0.

Australia's 1-0 triumph is their first series win since the 2-0 win in New Zealand in 2010.

Rangana Herath's haul of 7 for 157 is the best bowling performance by a Sri Lankan bowler in Tests against Australia. He also became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark in Tests.ustralia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC Test rankings and helped it to retain the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy. (ANI)