Belief key for Sri Lanka

Michael Clarke keeps his eye on the ball during his unbeaten innings of 77 © Getty Images

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Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has urged his team to show more character after suffering a humiliating 128-run defeat to Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Series in Sydney on Friday.

The tourists were set 254 for victory but were never in the hunt as Nathan Bracken grabbed five wickets to help the home side knock over Sri Lanka for 125 in the 32nd over.

Jayawardene was dismayed by his team's display and offered an honest assessment of where Sri Lanka went wrong.

"We just need to make sure that we stand up and show a bit more character," he said.

"The group of players that we've got has the ability to beat Australia definitely but everyone needs to believe in that.

"That's where we are lacking I think. We have got the talent to beat them. We just need to believe out there in the middle that we can do that."

In contrast, Ricky Ponting could not have been more thrilled with the performance of his bowlers as they helped Australia pick up a bonus point and claim the first victory of a rain-affected series.

Bracken finished with career-best figures of 5-49, while Brett Lee, Brad Hogg and Mitchell Johnson picked up a wicket apiece.

Nathan Bracken picks up the wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan, one of five © Getty Images

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Ponting reckons the Australia one-day bowling attack is a formidable force that will take some stopping in the rest of the series.

"Our one-day attack the last couple of years has been really solid. Brett is in career-best form; Nathan's just come off five tonight and Mitchell Johnson improves all the time," he said.

"(James) Hopes offers us a lot, Hoggy's one-day record the last couple of years is outstanding and I think Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke have both improved their off-spinning.

"We've got lots and lots of options. I'm happy with the skill-set all our players have got at the moment."

Australia's solid total was underpinned by Adam Gilchrist (61) and Michael Clarke (77 not out), who both traded flash for grind on a difficult, two-paced strip.

It was always going to be a tough target for the Sri Lankans and so it proved.

"We knew if they didn’t get off to a flying start and we took a couple of early wickets it was going to be hard for them. Chasing 250 was going to be difficult," Ponting said.

"We summed things up really well and adapted to a really slow surface and it was a very pleasing and complete performance.

"To have a comprehensive victory at the start of a one-day series is always good and hopefully we can stay on top of them for the rest of the series."