Muttiah Muralidharan and Kumar Sangakkara celebrate the dismissal of West Indies batsman Ryan Ramdass on Day IV of their final Test in Kandy on Monday. (Reuters)

Kandy: Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan snared eight wickets to send West Indies tumbling to a massive 240-run second Test defeat and a 2-0 series whitewash on Monday.

Muralidharan proved too tough a proposition for the inexperienced West Indies batting line-up on a spinning pitch and ended with figures of eight for 46.

The 33-year-old recovered from a severe flu bug, which had hampered his bowling in the first innings, to reel off 16.2 overs during an unchanged spell as the visitors were bowled out for 137 in just 41.2 overs.

Playing in his hometown in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, Muralidharan finished with match figures of 10 for 83 and extended his career tally to 549 wickets in 93 Tests.

Sri Lanka, who had started the day on 340 for seven, batted on for a further 37 minutes after early morning rain had delayed the resumption by 45 minutes before declaring on 375 for seven.

Kumar Sangakkara batted fluently in the short session to finish unbeaten on 157, a six-and-a-half-hour marathon that spanned 284 balls and included 23 boundaries.

Fast bowler Tino Best was banned again by New Zealand umpire Tony Hills for bowling his second beamer of the innings at Rangana Herath (15 not out).

Lasith Malinga could have had a wicket with his first delivery on Monday but Tillakaratne Dilshan fumbled the low catch at second slip off Marshall.

However, Malinga, who swung the new ball sharply away from the right-handers, deceived opener Xavier Marshall (one) in his next over with an out-swinging yorker.

He also produced a fierce short delivery that smacked Runako Morton on the back of the neck. The incident halted play for several minutes as the right-hander received medical attention.

After rain had forced the teams to take an early lunch, Muralidharan started to cause problems as soon as the match resumed.

Morton was the first to depart, foxed by Muralidharan’s doosra and pinned leg before to end a 36-run stand for the second wicket with Ryan Ramdass.

Debutant Ramdass played some attractive strokes for his 23 before he propped forward tentatively to a Muralidharan’s off break and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene at silly point. Sylvester Joseph was dismissed next ball to leave the West Indies in disarray on 49 for four.

Narsingh Deonarine survived the hattrick ball and added 28 with his captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul and a further 28 with wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Left-arm spinner Herath ended the first partnership with the wicket of Chanderpaul, who was also caught at bat-pad for 24 to leave West Indies 77 for five.

Muralidharan claimed his 46th five-wicket haul in Tests when Omari Banks (one) gloved an attempted sweep and was acrobatically caught by Sangakkara behind the stumps.

The off-spinner then ended the visitors’ misery by mopping up the rest of the tail.