Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva said that his "batters should have put up a better show" after falling to their biggest-ever Test defeat against Australia on Saturday. 

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 165 and 247 after Australia declared for 654-6 - meaning the tourists recorded a win by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test. 

It surpassed their previous heaviest defeat by an innings and 239 runs at the hands of India in Nagpur in 2017.

"We were put under pressure. The batters should have put up a better show," De Silva said after the match. 

"The wicket was not that hard, but the ball was turning. But the batters have to put their hands up and put the opposition under pressure.

"Losing hurts always. We had our chances, reviews and catches dropped. We made chances but never took them."

The hosts will hope to put on a better display when the sides take each other on again in the second and final Test in Galle from Thursday. 

"We have to put our bodies on the line and play well. They are a champion side, they are in the World Test Championship final, so we have to up our game for the next Test," De Silva concluded.

Jeffrey Vandersay scores a stunning 53 – a masterclass in skill and determination! #SLvsAUS pic.twitter.com/K9SLdWQ9rP

— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) February 1, 2025

Spinners Matthew Kuhnemann (4-86) and Nathan Lyon (4-78) were the pick of Australia's bowlers in the second innings, with the former finishing with match figures of 9-149. 

"The bowlers bowled really well in tandem, the beauty of having three frontline spinners is you can just rotate and keep guys as fresh as possible," said Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith. 

It was Australia's fourth-biggest Test win in history, while Smith also passed 10,000 runs in Test cricket during his 141-run knock in the first innings. 

"I never thought I would score this many runs. I thought playing just one Test for Australia was a dream growing up. To have played over 100 now and scored 10,000 runs, it's a dream come true," Smith said. 

He became the 15th different player to reach the milestone and the fourth Australian after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

But it was opener Usman Khawaja who was named the player of the match for hitting 232 and providing the foundation for the tourists' huge victory. 

"I've got my own plans to play spin. I am 38 now and this is my fifth trip to Sri Lanka," said Khawaja, who became the oldest player to hit a double century in Tests, surpassing India great Sachin Tendulkar's 15-year record (203 at 37 years old). 

"I've made all the mistakes I know I can make. I know there are certain ways I'm happy to get out and certain ways I'm not. I just work around that, that's the most important thing."