1st Test: India thrash Sri Lanka inside three days

Mar 06, 2022

1st Test: India thrash Sri Lanka inside three days Image

India took 16 wickets in a single day to thrash Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs. 

Sri Lanka began Day 3 of the first Test match, in Mohali, with it all to do. Replying to India’s first-innings score of 574/8, they were 101/4 overnight, with Pathum Nissanka on 28 and Charith Asalanka on 1. They still trailed by 466 runs.

The pair defied the Indian bowlers for the best part of an hour before Jasprit Bumrah made the breakthrough, having Asalanka leg before with a slow off cutter for 29.

That triggered a batting implosion as the remaining five wickets fell for just 13 runs in a little more than four overs.

Ravindra Jadeja, continuing his fine individual match, was the destroyer-in-chief, with four of these wickets, while Mohammed Shami got the other wickets.

The last four batsmen failing to score a run between them, leaving Nissanka stranded on 61, with 11 fours. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 174 as Jadeja took 5-41.

It was an easy decision for Rohit Sharma to enforce the follow-on. The Indian bowlers soon had more joy when Lahiru Thirimanne was caught off R. Ashwin without scoring. Four overs later, Ashwin also accounted for Nissanka, caught behind for just 6, as Sri Lanka slumped to 19/2.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne was the next to go, caught behind off Shami for 27, before Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva offered brief resistance with a stand of 49 for the fourth wicket.

Jadeja returned to the attack to have de Silva caught for 30. Then three wickets fell in the space of space of nine balls. Ashwin accounted for Asalanka (20), while Jadeja took the wickets of Mathews (28), and Suranga Lakmal.

Niroshan Dickwella and Lasith Embuldeniya delayed the inevitable for a while with a stand of 32 for the eighth wicket. Then, having made just 2, Embuldeniya gave Jadeja another wicket when he was caught behind.

Three overs later, Vishwa Fernando was leg before to Shami, and the end was nigh. Dickwella did, at least, have the satisfaction of reaching his half century. He was 51 not out when Lahiru Kumara was the last man out, caught off the bowling of Ashwin for 4.

Sri Lanka were all out second time round for 178. Jadeja took 4-46 and Ashwin 4-47.

India 574/8 decl. (Ravindra Jadeja 175*; Suranga Lakmal 2-90) beat Sri Lanka 174 (Pathum Nissanka 61*; Ravindra Jadeja 5-41) and 178 (Niroshan Dickwella 51*; Ravindra Jadeja 4-46, R. Ashwin 4-47) by an innings and 222 runs. Player of the Match: Ravindra Jadeja.