Muttiah Muralitharan took six for 18 as Sri Lanka [Images] defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 96 runs on the third day of the first Test on Wednesday after the visitors crashed to their lowest Test score.

Bangladesh, who started the third day on 36-3 still trailing by 146 runs, lost wickets early and were eventually bowled out for 86 in 27.4 overs.

Muralitharan followed his double-strike late on day two with the wickets of Tushar Imran for three, Aftab Ahmed for eight and Mohammad Rafique for four in quick succession.

Imran was bowled by an off break that spun sharply and kept low, Ahmed was caught at slip off his doosra and Rafique top-edged a catch to short fine leg.

Pace bowler Lasith Malinga [Images] chipped in with two wickets, bowling Khaled Mashud for 15 and Syed Rasel for one with fast yorkers, to finish with 3-32 from six overs.

Muralitharan then wrapped up the match when Enamul Haque jnr was stumped, becoming the fourth batsmen to be deceived by Muralitharan's doosra, a delivery that spins in the opposite direct to his stock off break.

WORLD RECORD

Muralitharan's five-wicket haul was his 47th in Test cricket -- an extension of his own world record -- and he finished with match figures of 9-60 from 24.2 overs

Bangladesh's defeat was their 23rd innings defeat in 39 Tests since being given test status in 2000 and their eighth innings defeat in their last 10 Test matches.

"We had a chance to make a good first innings score and if you don't take your chance against a side like Sri Lanka then you are going to pay," skipper Habibul Bashar said afterwards.

"We bowled and fielded well but with the bat we are just not doing what we have to do in Tests at the moment," he added.

Bangladesh will now have four days to re-group before the second and final Test of the series starting next Monday in Colombo.

Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu praised his bowlers but called for an improved performance from his batsmen.

"We set ourselves individual targets for this Test and we did not achieve those targets with the bat," said Atapattu.

"The bowlers did very little wrong but I'd have liked at least one of batsmen to have scored a century and we will aim to put that right in the second match," he added.