Andrew Balbirnie insisted that Dimuth Karunaratne winning the toss for Sri Lanka on day one at Galle International Stadium played a key role in the hosts' record-breaking victory, while the Ireland captain also acknowledged the disparity in levels between the two teams.
The visitors came unstuck against spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis as Sri Lanka recorded their biggest Test win with an innings-and-280-run triumph inside three days.
Slow left-armer Jayasuriya finished with a 10-wicket match haul after following up a Test-best seven for 52 in Ireland's 143 all out first time around with three for 56 in the tourists’ follow-on.
Jayasuriya fittingly claimed the final wicket as Ireland were skittled for 168 in their second innings, where off-spinner Mendis was the pick of the bowlers with four for 76 on a turning track in Galle.
A humbling defeat for Ireland is mitigated by this being only their fifth match in this format – they have now lost all five – since being granted Test status alongside Afghanistan in June 2017.
"We've got a couple of more days rest, recovery and to train, we can get used to these conditions, but certainly our bowlers got some miles in their legs," Balbirnie said afterwards.
"It was a challenging first innings. Naturally, it was a big toss to win, even though I'm not saying we would have got 600, but it was certainly the nicest time to bat in the Test match, in my opinion.
"But I can't be critical of the players. They're really trying their hardest to be competitive at this level, but it's just very difficult when you come up against a team, who in their own conditions are as good as anyone.
"We will try again in the next Test and hopefully we can put in performances we can be proud of."
Ireland struggled to adapt to unfamiliar subcontinent conditions and were up against it after slipping to 117 for seven on day two in response to Sri Lanka’s mammoth 591 for six declared.
Lorcan Tucker provided some resistance on Tuesday morning, taking three fours in an over off left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando, but the Ireland wicketkeeper-batter was struck on the back leg after playing all around an attempted sweep at Jayasuriya and departed five short of half-century.
Mark Adair was stumped two balls later while Andy McBrine was given out lbw on review in Mendis’ next over as Ireland lost their final three wickets for no runs in nine deliveries.
Matters hardly improved as Ireland were asked to bat again following a yawning 448-run first-innings deficit, with Murray Commins bagging a pair and falling to Vishwa once more after skewing to point.
Vishwa also took the edge of Balbirnie in an excellent opening spell of 4-2-3-2 but with lavish turn on offer, Sri Lanka turned to their spinners to put on the squeeze.
Jayasuriya saw off James McCollum and Tucker, promoted up the order, in successive overs, with the former nicking to slip and the latter missing a sweep and given lbw in a carbon copy of his dismissal earlier in the session.
Ireland were five down with just 40 on the board when Peter Moor’s clip off his pads led to a fine reflex catch low at short leg from Nishan Madushka to give Mendis a wicket in the over before lunch.
The same Sri Lanka pair combined to break apart a 60-run stand between Harry Tector and Curtis Campher, who was on his way for 30 after Madushka anticipated the lap shot and ran round to take the chance.
Tector was short of his ground after being sent back attempting to scurry through for a single, ran out for 42, while Mendis equalled the record for the fastest Sri Lankan to 50 Test wickets, doing so in fewer innings than Dilruwan Perera, after Kusal Mendis gobbled up a slip chance off McBrine.
George Dockrell (32) and Mark Adair (29 not out) counter-attacked but the writing was on the wall and Jayasuriya pinned Ben White lbw to give Sri Lanka victory in the first match of the two-Test series.
The second Test starts at the same venue on Monday.
Sri Lanka 591-4 (131 overs; Dimuth Karunaratne 179, Kusal Mendis 140, Curtis Campher 2-84)
Ireland 143 (52.3 overs; Lorcan Tucker 45, James McCollum 35, Harry Tector 34, Prabath Jayasuriya 7-52)
Ireland 168 (54.1 overs; Harry Tector 42, George Dockrell 32; W Mendis 4-76)
Sri Lanka won by an innings and 280 runs
