With only four first-class matches to his name, the batting allrounder was handed a whirlwind Test debut this week for the second and final match of the series.
Connolly had been brought in at the expense of frontline spinner Todd Murphy to boost Australia's batting firepower on a pitch predicted to play plenty of tricks.
But the experiment blew up on the dusty Galle surface, with Connolly the fourth batter thwarted by a rejuvenated Sri Lanka weaponising the new ball on the morning of day three.
Steve Smith (131), Josh Inglis (0) and Alex Carey (156) had all fallen to a resurgent Prabath Jayasuriya before Connolly joined fellow allrounder Beau Webster in the middle.
Connolly averaged 61.8 in first-class cricket on Australian pitches ahead of his debut, but never looked comfortable with the admittedly tough assignment.
In a nervy start, the highly-touted young gun was beaten by a turning Nishan Peiris delivery on the first ball he faced.
He made it off the mark with an uncontrolled top edge from Jayasuriya that dropped less than a metre from Dimuth Karunaratne and rolled over the rope at deep backward square leg.
But only two deliveries later, Connolly advanced down the wicket and caught an edge from Peiris that sailed up to the fielder at backward point.
Australia were into the bowlers as No.8 Connolly walked from the pitch.
Connolly may yet have the chance to make his impact felt in the second innings.
The West Australian bowled only three overs of his part-time offspin for figures of 0-12 in Sri Lanka's first dig, but bowling coach Dan Vettori had flagged he may be thrown the ball more as the pitch broke down.
Australia were 127 runs ahead of their hosts when Connolly was dismissed, so he may be required to bat again as well, as wickets are expected to tumble on day three.
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