IND vs SL: Rohit Sharma during the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka.© BCCI
India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed happiness, after his side defeated Sri Lanka at the Punjab Cricket Association, IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Sunday to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin bagged four wickets in 2nd innings, as India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs in the first Test. “It was a good start. It was a great game of cricket from our perspective. We ticked all the boxes we wanted to. To be honest I didn’t think it is going to be that kind of a Test match that would get over in three days. It was a good batting pitch, there was some turn and some assistance for the seamers as well. A lot of credit to the guys, they bowled very well in tandem, kept the pressure and never made it easier for the Sri Lanka batsmen. We just ensured we applied pressure from both ends. Good signs for India cricket,” said Rohit after the first Test ended.
“Lot of performances, landmark Test match for Virat and we wanted to come out here and win the Test first and foremost. It was heartening to see such big individual performances. No thought process, it was about making the most of the bowling options we have and we want to have other options as well. We wanted to make sure he (Jayant) gets some overs,” he added.
Resuming post Tea session at 120/4 the Indian spinners continued their wicket-taking spree as Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Charith Asalanka in the third ball post-tea caught by Virat Kohli making him his 435th Test victim and going past Kapil Dev to become India’s second most successful Test bowler behind Anil Kumble who has 619 Test scalps to his name. Ashwin is now ninth in the list of all-time highest wicket-taker in Tests.
Five balls later Sri Lanka lost Angelo Mathews for 28 to Ravindra Jadeja’s leg before wicket and then two balls later Suranga Lakmal hold out by Jayant Yadav in mid-on without troubling the scorers. Jadeja got two wickets in one over to take his innings tally to three wickets and match tally to eight to leave visitors tottering at 121/7.
Wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella and Lasith Embuldeniya tried hard to delay the inevitable striking a small partnership and taking their team’s total beyond the 150-run mark. Jadeja once again broke the partnership picking up his fourth wicket of the innings dismissing Embuldeniya for 2.
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Dickwella was losing partners at the other end so he started playing shots but Mohammed Shami dismissed Vishwa Fernando for a duck to leave the Islanders at 170/9.
Dickwella went on to score his half-century and was the only Lankan batter to do so in 2nd innings. Ashwin finally dismissed no.11 batter Lahiru Kumara for 4 caught by Shami as he took his fourth scalp and Sri Lanka was bowled out for 178 in 2nd innings to succumb to a defeat by an innings and 222 runs.
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