Sri Lanka were in contention for the World Test Championship Final as recently as early January and would've been confident of pushing Australia in the two-match series in Galle after sweeping New Zealand 2-0 there late last year.
But from the moment Travis Head hit three fours from the first over of the first Test, the two-match series was on Australia's terms.
The first Test ended in Sri Lanka's biggest-ever loss - by an innings and 242 runs - as Usman Khawaja (232), Steve Smith (141) and Josh Inglis (102) all tonned up with the bat.
On their home deck, no Sri Lankan batter passed 85 across the four innings of the series.
"(Australia's) strategy was to score on both sides of the wicket and it worked for them," said captain Dhananjaya de Silva.
"We couldn't apply the same method."
Sri Lanka were competitive in patches during the second Test, notably starting their first innings at 1-93 with the bat and then forcing an Australian collapse of 7-84 with the new ball before lunch on day three.
But knocks from Smith (131) and Alex Carey (156) proved decisive in the nine-wicket loss.
Not since a three-match series against India in 2017, when Sri Lanka lost two Tests by more than an innings, has the team been swept so convincingly at home.
"We didn't perform up to the level we should have been," said de Silva.
"I mean with the bat and ball. These conditions suits to our game but I have my doubts whether we have played well against the spin. So we have to think about it again."
Sri Lanka dropped both matches on their trip to South Africa late last year and are now on a four-match losing streak in Tests.
"I'm really sad of it," de Silva said of the recent form.
"We need to get over this hurdle."
Recent results have left de Silva to renew calls for Sri Lanka to play more Test matches.
Sri Lanka are only scheduled to play 12 Tests in the next two-year WTC cycle, and have no series longer than two matches.
For comparison, Australia play 22 matches in that timeframe, with five of their six series lasting three matches or longer.
"As a top level Test nation, it's better if we get Test series with three or four matches," de Silva added.
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