India Claim First 3-0 Series Win Against Sri Lanka By 171 Runs:- India claimed their first ever 3-0 series win overseas, beating Sri Lanka in the third and the final Test at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele on Monday by an innings and 171 runs.
It did not take much time for the Indian bowlers to wrap up Sri Lanka's second innings on day three. India would have had the win much earlier, if skipper Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews had not dogged resistance in the first session.
Sri Lanka beginning the day at 19/1, lost three wickets by the time they could add 15 more runs and the penning seemed to be on the wall, until Chandimal and former skipper Mathews put on 65 runs for the fifth wicket. This allowed the team to go in to lunch at 82/4, still trailing India’s first innings score of 487 by 270 runs.
However, the departures of both the well set batsmen spell doom for the Sri Lankans after the break, and they folded for 181. It was a chance to go down fighting for Sri Lanka and both Chandimal and Mathews showed that fighting spirit.
It was Mohammed Shami who once again set the tone with a probing spell early but it was Ravichandran Ashwin, Shami’s opening partner for the day, who got the first breakthrough in the form of SL’s highest run-getter in the series, Dimuth Karunaratne.
When Malinda Pushpakumara edged one behind to Wriddhiman Saha, Shami got his due soon after. Shami an over later, trapped Kusal Mendis full and wide that came back in. Mendis was on the move trying to play the delivery to the legside, but failed to connect with that bat. He departed for 12.
Against Ashwin and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, Chandimal and Mathews had quite a few nervy moments but, however, managed to survive the opening session. The second session was started off by the duo well and Mathews even ventured out of the crease to Ashwin and plonked him for a six to bring up his team's 100. Kuldeep and Ashwin though were bowling well and created chances with close in fielders. When the Sri Lankan skipper Chandimal was cramped for room and jabbed a length delivery on to his pads and the ball looped in to Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg, Kuldeep got the wicket and Chandimal departed for 36.
Mathews went down to sweep Ashwin and failed to connect, after two overs later. Umpire Richard Illingworth raised his finger and Mathews referral reaffirmed the on-field call. Mathews walked back after scoring 35.
Niroshan Dickwella was happy to sweep around and made most of the ample time he had to bat on en route to 41 off 52 deliveries. But wickets kept falling at the other end with Ashwin removing Dilruwan Perera for 8 and Shami accounted for Lakshan Sandakan (8) for this third wicket. Umesh Yadav finally got to Dickwella when he edged one to the slips. Ashwin wrapped up the match taking the last wicket of Lahiru Kumara.
Brief Scores : Sri Lanka 181 (Chandimal 36; Ashwin 4/68) & 135 (Chandimal 48; Kuldeep 4/40) trail India 487 (Dhawan 119, Pandya 108; Sandakan 5/132) by an innings and 171 runs.
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SUPRAJA
