Australia's looming challenge of "extreme" turning Sri Lankan Test wickets has been laid bare, after being spun out of the one-day series with a four-run defeat in Colombo. 

Chasing 259, David Warner played a lone hand with 99 as Australia capitulated from 4-189 in the 36th over to be all out for 254 and down 3-1 in the five-match series.

The margin could also have been far worse, if not for Pat Cummins's 35 and Matthew Kuhnemann scoring 14 from the final over off Dasun Shanaka before being caught in the ring on the final ball.

But it couldn't paper over Australia's uphill battle against spin.

Seven wickets fell to the slower bowlers, as Sri Lanka played five turners and sent down 43 overs from them on a used wicket that spun well into the night.

Just over a week out from the first Test in Galle, the hosts' win will likely confirm the blueprint on how they plan to beat Australia in the red-ball format.

Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay took 2-40, offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva 2-39 and mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana 1-40.

Warner meanwhile had looked in control after Aaron Finch (0), Mitch Marsh (26), Marnus Labuschagne (14) and Alex Carey (19) all came and went.

The opener was cagey in the early overs, before taking on Theekshana.

He hit 12 boundaries in his knock, going hard through the covers and driving superbly.

And when he reached 99 Warner looked almost certain to end the longest century drought of his international career, which now sits at 48 innings across all formats.

But the match then swung violently in Sri Lanka's favour, handing them their first bilateral one-day series win over Australia at home since 1992.

With Warner at the non-striker's end, Travis Head (27) was bowled by Dhananjaya, before Glenn Maxwell was trapped lbw by Theekshana next over.

And when Warner finally got back on strike, Dhananjaya drew him off balance and beat his outside edge to have him stumped.