Lasith Malinga celebrates the dismissal of Mohammed Rafique in Colombo on Thursday. (AP)

Colombo: Bangladesh slumped to an innings and 234-run defeat in the first Test on Thursday with Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidharan claiming a match-haul of nine for 102.

Bangladesh’s top-order had resisted bravely on the third day but collapsed spectacularly at the start of the fourth, losing their five remaining wickets in just 4.4 overs.

Bowled out for 89 in their first innings, Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for 27 runs to be bowled out for 254 in 87.1 overs.

Muralidharan was named the Man of the Match, snaring four for 87 from 36.1 overs to follow his five for 15 in the first innings. Muralidharan now has 59 wickets in seven Tests against Bangladesh.

The 35-year-old off-spinner also increased his career-haul to 683 Test wickets, closing in on Shane Warne’s world record tally of 708.

Muralidharan was supported well by fast bowler Lasith Malinga who started the day with a searing yorker that uprooted the middle stump of wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud (one).

Malinga followed up with the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan (eight), who was caught at short cover, and then deceived Mohammed Rafique (nought) with a slower ball.

Malinga finished with four for 80 from 17 overs.

Muralidharan wrapped up the game as Shahadat Hossain (one) was stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene.

It was Sri Lanka’s biggest victory over Bangladesh, surpassing the innings and 196-run win at the P. Sara Stadium here in 2002. Sri Lanka have now won all their eight Test matches against Bangladesh, five of them by an innings.

The Sri Lankans have been so dominant against the Test minnows that they have never required a fifth day to secure victory. Four of the Tests have ended inside three days and the remaining four with a day to spare.

It was Bagladesh’s 41st defeat in 47 matches since they gained Test status in 2000 with a lone win coming against struggling Zimbabwe. Five games have been drawn.

Bangladesh’s new captain Mohammed Ashraful tried manfully to put a positive spin on his team’s crushing innings defeat by Sri Lanka on Thursday.

“We have not played Test cricket for a while,” the 22-year-old said after the loss.

“That was one of the reasons we did not do that well in the first innings.”

Bangladesh were skittled out for just 89 runs in the first innings but at least salvaged some pride with a creditable 254 in the second.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was delighted with his side’s win but still called for an allround improvement from his players in the second Test which starts Tuesday.