Dinesh Chandimal's double century and bowling heroics by debutant Prabhat Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka to a series-levelling win over Australia on Monday in a second Test affected by protests and Covid.
The hosts hammered Australia by an innings and 39 runs on the fourth day of the match, which had witnessed dramatic scenes outside the Galle stadium amid political unrest in the island nation.
But Chandimal brought the home supporters joy two days later with an unbeaten 206 in Sri Lanka's 554 all out, as the hosts managed a first innings lead of 190.
Jayasuriya, a left-arm spinner, then took six wickets to improve his match haul to 12 and help dismiss Australia for 151 in the final session on day four as the hosts bounced back from their opening loss to end the series level at 1-1.
"We are here to bring smiles on people's faces," skipper Dimuth Karunaratne told reporters, adding that the players were there "to play cricket".
"I don't want to mention what we are going through," he said. "Unfortunately it's what we are going through."
The tourists posted 364, with Steve Smith hitting an unbeaten 145 in the first innings, but their batting faltered the second time around.
Off-spinner Ramesh Mendis trapped David Warner lbw for 24 before tea and Jayasuriya soon took over with his left-arm spin in the final session to send back Usman Khawaja (29) and Steve Smith (0) in one over to rattle the opposition batting.
The 30-year-old Jayasuriya, who claimed a six-for in the first innings, kept up the charge with another
twin strike to expose the Australian tail.
Ramesh and debutant spinner Maheesh Theekshana took two each, and Jayasuriya got the final wicket to trigger celebrations in the Sri Lankan camp and crowd.
Jayasuriya's match figures of 12-177 are the best ever by a Sri Lankan bowler on debut as he went one better than Praveen Jayawickrama, who took 11 wickets in his first Test last year.
But it was Chandimal who set up victory after he launched an assault on the opposition bowlers with his final 47 runs coming from just 28 balls.
Chandimal, who recorded his 13th Test hundred on Sunday, took on the opposition bowlers after losing Jayasuriya for nought as he went past his previous best of 164.
The 32-year-old smashed left-arm quick Mitchell Starc for a four and two sixes on consecutive balls to go past 200 as he leapt in joy amid raucous applause from the crowd.