Mitchell Johnson has given Australia an outside hope of salvaging a terrible batting performance by ripping through the Sri Lankan top order on a venomous Gabba wicket.
Johnson took 3-11 off three overs before the dinner break to have Sri Lanka 4-48 as they chase a meagre 75 for victory in the third one-day international.
Australia’s batsmen were humiliated in 26 overs after winning the toss and batting to be routed for a record low 74.
Only tailenders Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty managed double figures as the full-strength hosts were dismissed for their third worst total in 42 years of one-day cricket.
Australia’s inability to cope with quality swing bowling was sadly exposed by Nuwan Kulasekara (5-22) and Lasith Malinga (3-14) who reduced them to 9-40 in the 19th over.
But Johnson also made the most of the conditions, prowling with fearsome pace and bounce to take three wickets with his first eight balls.
The left-armer, who was introduced with the score at 1-33, immediately sent Tillakaratne Dilshan packing and was then on a hat-trick in his second over after dismissing Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews.
But Australia may live to rue two missed chances in the slips cordon with Michael Clarke and George Bailey failing to grab edges off Clint McKay’s bowling.
The game would already be over if not for the determined rearguard stand by Starc (22 not out) and Doherty (15), putting on 34 for the last wicket, that saved their team from more embarrassment.
When Doherty leg-glanced his first ball to the boundary, Australia passed the lowest total by a recognised Test nation – 43 endured in South Africa by both Pakistan (1993) and Sri Lanka (2012).
The spinner’s last boundary ensured they crept beyond 70 – which Australia made in 1977 in England and also in 1986 against New Zealand in Adelaide.
It had looked to be a superb Brisbane one-day pitch and Clarke had no hesitation in batting first in his return from a two-game break with David Warner and Matthew Wade.
While it was Angelo Mathews who struck first by having a returning Warner caught at mid-off, Kulasekara did the real damage, ripping through the bamboozled top order with a mixture of brilliant swing and seam bowling.
He already had Phil Hughes caught at second slip before dismissing an edging David Hussey and Bailey, shouldering arms, off successive inswingers in his fourth over to be on a hat-trick.
Wade survived but it wasn’t long before Kulasekara clean bowled both Clarke and Moises Henriques through the gate with the two best deliveries of the day to have Australia 6-30.
Malinga then chipped in by dismissing Johnson, Wade and McKay in quick succession.