What a massive win for Australia to retain the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy with a game remaining.

It's a comprehensive victory, but that doesn't mean it was a foregone conclusion coming into this match, because it never is for Australia in sub-continental conditions.

Nor can the team, hunting its first series win in Sri Lanka since 2011, rest on its laurels heading into the second game.

We'll be back on Thursday to bring you all the live action from that second Test.

Until then, on behalf of Chris De Silva and myself, thanks for sticking around and we'll see you next time!

Steve Smith came into this match with three spinners and seamer Mitchell Starc.

Starc took valuable top-order wickets, as is his wont, and the spinners rotated in short bursts.

He says those short bursts were particularly useful in keeping players fresh, meaning they didn't really have to go to part-timers Travis Head and Beau Webster. But he says they'll look at the surface for the second Test at this same venue to see if they want to go with the same combination or add another fast bowler.

"On this occasion three spinners all worked nicely together."

And, on a personal note, Smith got a century and also passed 10,000 Test runs.

"I never thought I'd score this many runs. To play one Test for Australia was a dream. It was nice to contribute in this Test with 100."

Dhananjaya de Silva says the way Jeffrey Vandersay batted should show the way forward for the batters.

"The wicket was not that hard. Other batters have got to put their hands up."

And he acknowledges losing the toss put them on the back foot, but they didn't help themselves.

"We had our chances in terms of reviews and four catches were dropped."

Yeah, tough to argue with 232 runs in the first innings.

The 38-year-old gets himself US$2,000, a trophy and a solar power generator. Not sure if that will fit in his checked baggage.

"This is my fifth trip to Sri Lanka. I've made all the mistakes that I know I can make. I know there's certain ways I'm happy to get out and certain ways I'm not, so I just play around that."

Give Jeffrey Vandersay his flowers. The number nine, in his second game smacked 53 off 46 balls after the rest of the batting line-up fell to bits.

He was entitled to go for a third straight slog, even if it didn't come off.

It's a nice touch that Mitchell Starc took the catch to end the match almost in the same second wife Alyssa Healy won the Women's Ashes Test for a clean sweep in Melbourne.

One ball after Australia's women wrap up a 16-0 Ashes win in Melbourne, Jeffrey Vandersay holes out and Australia's men retain the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy with an enormous victory, handing Sri Lanka its biggest-ever Test loss.

It was a comprehensive performance by Australia in Galle, aided by winning the toss. Batting first on this deck proved absolutely vital to the victory, allowing Usman Khawaja (232), Steve Smith (141), Josh Inglis (102) and Travis Head (57 off 40) to set up this victory with that enormous first-innings 654.

The bowlers more than backed them up with Mitchell Starc taking important wickets in the opening burst of both innings, before the spinners stepped in.

Matthew Kuhnemann was the best of the bunch with 9-149, while Nathan Lyon took 7-135.

What a knock for this second-gamer.

It won't affect the result, but it will give him confidence.

BOOM! Jeffrey Vandersay goes over the top and that's four more. He's within reach of 50.

Vandersay pushes a single to cover and Asitha will have to make it through three more balls.

Too full from Murphy and Asitha turns off his toes.

Nathan Lyon bowls and Vandersay pushes through mid-off. All the fielders are around the bat, so the ball looks destined for the rope, but Josh Inglis makes a diving save on the boundary.

But the batters run four anyway.

Another push through cover and Asitha takes the strike for the last three balls of Lyon's over.

Asitha keeps the last ball out.