Colombo: India defeated Sri Lanka by massive 278 runs in the second cricket Test to level the three-match series just after lunch on the fifth and final day on Monday.
Sri Lanka’s day got off to the worst start possible as they lost a wicket off the first ball of the morning. Starting at their overnight score of 72/2, skipper Angelo Mathews (23) was caught behind off Umesh Yadav (1-18) in the 22nd over and almost immediately the slide began for the hosts. R Ashwin (5-42) took his second five-wicket haul to rattle the hosts’ batting order.
Ishant Sharma (1-41) opened the bowling from the other end, but the spinners got into their act soon after. Amit Mishra first bowled Dinesh Chandimal (15) with a wonder-ball around his legs in the 28th over.
The hosts somehow managed to cross the 100-mark in the 30th over and were placed at 106/4 after the first hour’s play.
The collapse came thereafter as Ashwin started getting great purchase from the fifth day pitch. He struck off the sixth ball after the mini-break, removing Lahiru Thirimanne (11), who was caught at silly point by substitute fielder Cheteshwar Pujara.
In the very next over, the 36th bowled by Ishant, Jehan Mubarak (0) edged the first ball he faced to second slip which India skipper Virat Kohli gleefully accepted.
In the 37th over then, Dhammika Prasad (0) stepped out of the crease and mishit one high off Ashwin, holing out to Mishra at midwicket.
Here are the live updates
IND: 393 & 325/8d; SL 306 & 134/9 (43.4 overs)
WICKET! Umesh Yadav struck in the very first ball on day five when skipper Angelo Mathews nicked an easy one to new skipper KL Rahul. Mathews scored 23 runs.
WICKET! Amit Mishra has claimed his first wicket of the day in a typical leg-spinner’s fashion. To bowl a batsman around the pads solely with the drift is what every leg-spinner does. Chandimal shaped up to sweep it, but the ball drifted on him and hit the woodwork. Chandimal added 15 runs to Sri Lanka’s chase.