Virat Kohli’s men began the day needing nine wickets to register a second consecutive innings victory against Sri Lanka, and the script unfolded like clockwork as the Indian bowlers creamed the Lankan batting lineup to win the final Test by an innings and 171 runs. With this win, the Indians completed a historic 3-0 whitewash of their neighbours, a first for them in an overseas Test series. Virat Kohli is now the third most successful Test captain ever with 19 victories in 29 Tests, behind Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.
If the first innings was about the leg spinner Kuldeep Yadav, India’s first spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin made today his own by picking up four wickets. He got the first breakthrough of the day when he dismissed Karunaratne, caught at first slip by Rahane for 16. Pushpkumara was the next man to go, dismissed by Mohammad Shami for 1 off a thin edge to be caught by Saha. Shami struck again in his next over, when Kusala Mendis was caught plumb in front of the wicket and Sri Lanka suddenly found themselves back to where they were last morning, tottering at 39/4 with 313 runs still to go.
DineshChandimal and Angelo Matthews played steady for the Lankans, adding 65 runs for a fifth wicket stand, but just like their first innings, India got a breakthrough after lunch as Pujara took a stunning catch at forward short leg to dismiss Chandimal at 36 and give KuldeepYadav his first ever wicket in a second innings of a Test. Angelo Matthews couldn’t last much longer either as Ashwin dismissed him for 35 to shake out any possibility of a Sri Lankanfightback. He came back to pick up a third wicket when DiruwanPerera was dismissed off a mistimed sweep, caught by Pandya. After the fall of Perera, India could literally smell the victory and the Lankan batsmen did not keep them waiting for long.
Shami first removed Sandakan for 8 runs, and Dickwella, who was the highest scorer for the Lankans, fell at 41 to an edge off Umesh Yadav. Ashwin had the honour of claiming the last wicket and the match went to India an hour into the second session of the third day in one of the most convincing and dominating displays in Test cricket in recent times.
Full Scoreboard of India Vs Srilanka 3rd Test Match
India 1st Innings: 487 all out
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 135 all out
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
Dimuth Karunaratne c A Rahane b Ashwin 16
Upul Tharanga b Umesh 7
Malinda Pushpakumara c Saha b Shami 1
Kusal Mendis lbw b Shami 12
Dinesh Chandimal c Pujara b Kuldeep Yadav 36
Angelo Mathews lbw b Ashwin 35
Niroshan Dickwella c A Rahane b Umesh 41
Dilruwan Perera c Hardik Pandya b Ashwin 8
Lakshan Sandakan c Saha b Shami 8
Vishwa Fernando not out 4
Lahiru Kumara b Ashwin 10
Extras 3 (b 2, lb 0, w 0, nb 1, p 0) 181 all out
Fall of wickets: 15-1 (Upul Tharanga, 10.4),
26-2 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 15.3)
34-3 (Malinda Pushpakumara, 20.2)
39-4 (Kusal Mendis, 22.5)
104-5 (Dinesh Chandimal, 50.3)
118-6 (Angelo Mathews, 53.6)
138-7 (Dilruwan Perera, 59.3)
166-8 (Lakshan Sandakan, 68.3)
168-9 (Niroshan Dickwella, 69.5)
181-10 (Lahiru Kumara, 74.3).
Bowlers:
Mohammed Shami 15-6-32-3
Ravichandran Ashwin 28.3-6-68-4
Umesh Yadav 13-5-21-2-2
Kuldeep Yadav 17-4-56-1
Hardik Pandya 1-0-2-0
