As Australia surged closer to a world-record winning streak, skipper Ricky Ponting denied Test cricket was easy and claimed his team was being challenged more than it appeared.
While Australia yesterday wrapped up its 14th consecutive Test win, edging nearer to the record of 16 set by Steve Waugh's side, Ponting claimed the winning sequence was tougher than it looked.
Australia secured a 96-run win against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval yesterday, but was made to work hard after a fabulous 192 from Kumar Sangakkara which tested the mettle of all bowlers.
"The end results probably say this series has been a pretty easy win for us but if you ask our guys how they are feeling at the moment, there is a lot of hard work that goes into winning any Test match," Ponting said.
"It's never easy but the results probably look that way."
Man-of-the-series Brett Lee started the procession for Australia yesterday when he had dangerman Sanath Jayasuriya slashing behind and he also started the party when he bowled last-man-standing Muthiah Muralidaran.
Lee ended with match figures of 8-169 and a series haul of 16 wickets at 17.56.
Ponting believes Lee's tactic of bowling "smarter, not faster" has produced the ultimate rewards.
"To tell you the truth, I don't think he's got any extra skills than he had a few years ago," Ponting said.
"I think the more he has played the smarter he has become.
"He knows now that if he bowls enough balls in the right area and uses the skills he's got, he will give himself the best chance.
"If you look at what Glenn McGrath did over the years, he really didn't do anything special.
"He got the ball in the right area and took away the batsman's scoring shots and soon enough he was building enough pressure to cause the batsman to play a bad shot."
With Australia's next international hit-out not until a Twenty20 game against New Zealand in Perth on December 11, some of Australia's stars might be rested from domestic Pura Cup fixtures in the next fortnight.
Andrew Symonds (sprained ankle) will certainly be put on ice, while Lee and fellow fast men Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark may be eyeing off a break after back-to-back Tests.
"There is a good opportunity for a few guys to put their feet up for a while and really just start on their recovery," Ponting said.
Controversial batsman Marvan Atapattu who blasted Sri Lanka's selectors as "jokers" and "muppets" during the first Test announced his retirement during the final day in Hobart.
In his resignation letter, Atapattu thanked "chairman and members of past boards" of Sri Lankan cricket but made no mention of some of the current officials he has been at loggerheads with.
- BEN DORRIES