Shane Warne celebrates the dismissal of Chaminda Vaas with teammates in Colombo on Sunday. (Reuters)

Colombo: Leg-spinner Shane Warne moved to within two wickets of Courtney Walsh’s world record of 519 as Australia completed a series whitewash with a 121-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final Test on Sunday.

Warne, with figures of four for 92 in 33 overs, helped Australia dismiss Sri Lanka for 248 eight balls before the scheduled close on the fifth and final day.

Sri Lanka had resumed in the morning on 18 without loss in pursuit of an improbable 370 to win.

Warne, locked in a race with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidharan to Walsh’s mark, had toiled wicketless in the first two sessions before picking up four scalps after tea.

The 34-year-old, playing his first series since a 12-month drugs ban, lifted his career tally to 517 but is likely to be pipped by Muralidharan in their wicket chase in May.

Muralidharan, who ended the series against Australia with 28 wickets for a career haul of 513, will have a good opportunity to eclipse Walsh when Sri Lanka play two Tests in Zimbabwe, starting on May 6.

Warne could then overtake Muralidharan as Australia visit Zimbabwe later that month, also for a two-Test tour.

Sri Lanka’s chances of avoiding a series whitewash had looked good midway through the afternoon session.

However occasional left-arm spinner Darren Lehmann, who finished with three for 42 in 17 overs, triggered a middle-order slide . Samaraweera was stumped for a patient 53 while Jayawardene, six overs later, was unfortunate to be adjudged caught behind for 37.

After the interval, Kumar Sangakkara became Warne’s first victim of the day when he edged a leg-break through his legs on to the stumps, departing for 27 to leave Sri Lanka on 191 for five.

Tillekeratne Dilshan stroked an entertaining 31 from 44 balls, hitting five boundaries, before being caught by Damien Martyn at mid off.

Captain Hashan Tillekeratne battled for 82 minutes for his 17 but fast bowler Jason Gillespie broke through with the second new ball in the fifth over of the final hour, trapping the left-hander leg-before. Nuwan Zoysa fell for one after being tempted to give Warne the charge, bowled between bat and pad to leave Sri Lanka tottering on 247 for eight with 6.5 overs remaining.

Warne then trapped Chaminda Vaas for nine just minutes before the close before Rangana Herath was pinned leg-before in the penultimate over of the day by Michael Kasprowicz.

(Reuters)