Australia set a new Twenty20 international record en route to a comfortable 85-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first T20I clash between the sides on Tuesday.
The tourist posted a score of 263-3 in Pallekele, surpassing the previous record of 260 set by Sri Lanka in 2007, with Glenn Maxwell playing the starring role.
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The 27-year-old, who was left out of the of the recent One-Day International series against the same opponent, produced an unbeaten 145 to fall just 11 runs short of Aaron Finch's individual T20I record.
Sri Lanka struggled to to make any headway in its daunting chase, despite the best efforts of Dinesh Chandimal (58), as Mitchell Starc (3-26) and Scott Boland (also 3-26) stifled the host, who fell to its heaviest T20I defeat.
Maxwell, who played without a helmet for a short spell as he attempted to cope with the heat, was making his first appearance as an opener in a T20I and wasted little time in putting Sri Lanka to the sword.
It took Maxwell just 49 deliveries to chalk up his maiden century in this form of the game, dropped by Tillakaratne Dilshan as he brought up the 100.
He eventually finished with 14 fours and nine sixes in a barnstorming display, firing three sixes in a row in a stunning 17th over.
Travis Head (45) proved an able batting partner following the earlier dismissals of David Warner (28) and Usman Khawaja (36) - the pair combined for a 109-run partnership that saw the tourist make history.
Sri Lanka's response got off to a poor start as Dilshan (4) fell to Starc in the opening over, before the same man took the catch that saw off Kusal Perera (4) five deliveries later.
Chandimal and Chamara Kapugedera (43) put up admirable resistance, but they were a departure from the norm as the rest of the team managed just 58 between them.
Sri Lanka did last the full 20 overs but they were no match for a superb Australia side, finishing on 178-9.
The second and final T20I takes place in Colombo on Friday.
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