Michael Clarke’s first hundred in 24 Test innings and another brilliant

knock by evergreen Michael Hussey ensured the Australian captain emerged

victorious from his first full series in the top job.

Clarke

scored 112 while Hussey made 93 as Australia were bowled out for 488, a

lead of 331 runs on day five of the third and final Test against Sri

Lanka in Colombo.

Sri Lanka only faced two overs in their second innings, making 0-7 before play was called off and the match declared a draw.

That

result was all Australia needed to take out the three-match series 1-0

and move above Sri Lanka into fourth on the world Test rankings.

Clarke’s

first Test century since his 168 against New Zealand in Wellington in

March 2010, was a brilliant mix of patience and aggression as the

30-year-old led from the front to ensure Sri Lanka had no chance of

levelling the series with a win at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.

Clarke

took the game away from Sri Lanka after the hosts gave themselves some

hope with the early dismissal of Phillip Hughes for 126 in the morning

session.

The NSW left-hander’s demise to impressive spinner

Rangana Herath (7-157), who passed the 100 Test wicket milestone with

his career-best haul, effectively left Australia 4-63.

But Clarke

and Hussey made sure there would be no upset as they put on a 176-run

partnership for the fifth wicket at more than four runs an over.

Clarke’s

knock didn’t come without its moments, twice he could have been stumped

if wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene had cleanly taken the ball, but on

the whole it was the sort of timely knock the right-hander has often

been accused of not playing in his 72-Test career.

As 33-year-old

Herath tired, Clarke went on the offensive, smashing the left-armer for

a four and a six to pass his 50 before lunch.

Australia’s

captain stepped up his onslaught after lunch, hitting another six off

Herath before posting his century with the 14th boundary of his knock,

again off Herath.

The spinner gained some revenge closing in on

tea when Clarke chipped him to Tharanga Paranavitana to end his innings

and give Herath his fifth wicket.

Hussey’s own contribution

continued a fine series for the veteran left-hander, during which he has

scored 463 runs at an average of 92.60 including two centuries and two

half-centuries though he was denied a second century in the match when

he was caught off the bowling of Tillakaratne Dilshan (1-62) shortly

after tea.

Australia’s innings then petered out in a flurry of late wickets but the match was already safe and series won.