Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson has become the 14th Australian to claim 200 Test wickets, firing out four Sri Lankans as the home side made a dominant start to the Boxing Day Test.

Johnson, 31, reached the milestone in his 49th Test, claiming 4-63 as Sri Lanka were routed for 156 before tea on day one.

He was on a hat-trick at one stage after firing out Prasanna Jayawardene (19) and Dhammika Prasad (0) with successive hostile deliveries.

Johnson’s 200th scalp was top-scorer Kumar Sangakkara, brilliantly caught by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade off a top edge for a well-made 58.

Johnson returned to the Test scene after a year on the outer for the third Test against South Africa in Perth beginning in late November.

Despite taking six wickets against the Proteas, he was controversially left out for the following Test – the first against Sri Lanka in Hobart earlier this month – to accommodate the return of Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.

With Hilfenhaus unavailable through injury and Mitchell Starc being rested, Johnson came back into the Australian side for the MCG clash.

Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) head the list of 14 Australian bowlers to have claimed 200 or more Test victims.