AUSTRALIA recovered from a shaky start to reach 2-66 at tea yesterday after demolishing Sri Lanka's -batsmen, who were rolled for 117.
Skipper Steve Smith was unbeaten on 28 at tea on day one of the first Test in Kandy. 
Usman Khawaja (25 not out) shared a crucial third-wicket stand of 59 with Smith on a Pallekele Stadium pitch that hosted a procession of 12 wickets in the first two sessions of play.
Sri Lanka won the toss in sunny conditions and were skittled in just 34.2 overs in a sorry display.
Australia's reply began unexpectedly poorly when David Warner was bowled for a duck by paceman Nuwan Pradeep.
Warner's footwork was sadly lacking but admittedly the opener had been robbed of match practice after sitting out both warm-up games on tour with a broken finger.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took the new ball and found a gap -between Joe Burns' bat and pad in the fourth over, bringing the game's -top-ranked batsman Smith to the crease at 2-7.
Earlier, the spinners and the quicks shared the spoils in Sri Lanka's fourth-lowest innings total against Australia.
Strike bowler Mitchell Starc (2-51) played second fiddle to new-ball partner Josh Hazlewood (3-21), while spinners Steve O'Keefe (2-32) and Nathan Lyon (3-12) were also heavily involved as Sri Lanka's batting resistance fell away rapidly.
Sri Lanka's inexperienced side, containing debutants Dhananjaya de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan, offered almost no resistance.
It was only the second time in five Tests at Kandy's Pallekele Stadium that a captain had chosen to bat first.
Smith had spoken before the game about how the pitch could be "tacky" early. Sri Lanka were reeling at lunch at 5-84. Hazlewood removed opener Kaushal Silva, No.3 Kusal Mendis and No.4 Dinesh Chandimal in the morning session.
Starc, in his first Test since   November, and recalled spinner O'Keefe also made important breakthroughs.
Starc trapped Dimuth Karunaratne in front in the fifth over at 1-6 before Hazlewood struck twice in an opening spell of five overs that yielded 2-5. O'Keefe, in his third Test appearance, was introduced after just eight overs. The left-arm spinner soon made his presence felt, dismissing Sri Lanka's captain Angelo -Mathews caught at slip at 4-43 in a vital breakthrough.
Sri Lanka had looked to experienced pair Mathews (15) and Chandimal (15) but neither could settle into a rhythm against Australia's persistent accuracy. Chandimal was caught behind off Hazlewood at 5-67 in another major blow.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon took three wickets in seven deliveries after lunch, including the scalp of left-hander Kusal Perera, who was bowled after offering no shot.
Starc's yorker was too much for tailender Rangana Herath, who was originally given not out. A review by Australia showed it was plumb.No.10 Sandakan was unbeaten on 19 and fellow debutant Dhananjaya top-scored with 24 at No.6.