It was a “very emotional day” after his 100th and final Test defeat against Australia, Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne said on Sunday.

Veteran opener Dimuth Karunaratne had the honour of bowling the final few balls as Australia secured a nine-wicket victory and the series win before lunch on the fourth day in Galle.

“It’s been a long career – after my family and friends, I’ve spent the most time with my teammates,” he said.

“I’m leaving them, but this team will always be in my heart.”

The 36-year-old former captain was a rock at the top of the Sri Lankan team for more than a decade but had gone 25 innings without a century.

He announced his retirement from the five-day game ahead of the second Test in Galle.

“When I started my cricket, I only wanted to play one Test,” he said.

“To play 100 Tests is amazing.” It’s a privilege to have played cricket for so long”.

Karunaratne, known for his calm head and friendly nature, has also proven to be a capable leader.

Taking charge of Sri Lanka during a turbulent period in 2019, he guided them to a historic series win in South Africa.

To date, Sri Lanka is the only Asian team to have defeated the Proteins in their own backyard.

Karunaratne stepped down as captain in 2023, saying it was time to lead younger cricketers.

After a playing career with “a lot of happy memories”, he said he now wanted to spend time with his family and move on to coaching.

“I intend to take up the coaching position,” he said on Sunday. “I want to qualify ,I will start coaching here or overseas.”