Seamers Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc shared six late wickets to give Australia a dramatic 137-run victory over Sri Lanka in the last hour of the fifth and final day of the first test on Tuesday.
Siddle, who finished the match with figures of 9-104, and left-armer Starc, who took 5-63 in the second innings, fired in the final session to bowl the tourists out for 255 and give Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-test series.
Sri Lanka, resuming on 65-2, had been set 393 for victory but soon made it clear they were intent on batting out the day for a draw rather than going for their first win in Australia.
They had lost just two further wickets and added 121 runs by tea and the match looked destined for a draw until the Australian pace duo, who had lost colleague Ben Hilfenhaus to injury, intervened.
After Australia had declared their first innings at 450-5, the tourists replied with 336 all out before dismissing their hosts for 278.
Melbourne and Sydney host the last two tests of the series.