India are close to a clean sweep after just two days of the second Test match against Sri Lanka, in Bengaluru, have been played.
Sri Lanka began Day 2 on 86/6 in response to to India’s first-Innings total of 252, with Niroshan Dickwella on 12 and Lasith Embuldeniya yet to score.
The Sri Lankan innings was over in less than six overs on Sunday. Embuldeniya was the first to go, caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah for a single. Then, off the last ball of the next over, R. Ashwin bowled Suranga Lakmal for five.
Bumrah claimed his fifth wicket when he had Dickwella caught behind for 21, but it was left to Ashwin to wrap up proceedings when he had last man Vishwa Fernando stumped for eight.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 109 inside 36 overs. Bumrah finished with 5-24, while Ashwin and Mohammed Shami took two wickets apiece.
Already leading by 142 on first innings, India looked to extend that. Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma put on 42 for the first wicket until Agarwal was caught off the bowling of Embuldeniya for 22.
Rohit and Hanuma Vihari then shared a stand of 56 for the second wicket before Dhananjaya de Silva had the former caught by Mathews for 46.
Hopes of the crowds being entertained by a big innings from Virat Kohli were dashed when he was leg before to Praveen Jayawickrama for 13. The same bowler then bowled Vihari for 35.
Determined to score quickly, Rishabh Pant ended up smashing the fastest Test fifty by an Indian, off just 28 balls, with two sixes. Three balls later he mistimed a slog off Jayawickrama and was caught and bowled. India went to dinner at 199/5.
Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja added 48 more in the final session before Jadeja was bowled by Fernando for 22. Thirty-one more were added before two more wickets fell in quick order, Ashwin for 13, and Iyer, again top scoring, this time with 67.
The declaration came at 303, when Axar Patel was the ninth man out for his side. Jayawickrama took 4-78 and Embuldeniya 3-87.
With 447 needed to win, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel of another heavy defeat. The reply got off to a terrible start when Bumrah bowled Lahiru Thirimanne off the third ball for a duck.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis managed to get through the rest of the day unscathed, and will resume with Sri Lanka on 28/1, still trailing by 418 runs with nine wickets standing.
Karunaratne is unbeaten on 10 and Mendis 16 not out, but it is a question of when, and not if. India will win on Monday.
India 252 (Shreyas Iyer 92; Praveen Jayawickrama 3-81) and 303/9 decl. (Shreyas Iyer 67; Praveen Jayawickrama 4-78) lead Sri Lanka 109 (Angelo Mathews 42; Jasprit Bumrah 5-24) and 26/1 (Kusal Mendis 16*; Jasprit Bumrah 1-9) by 420 runs.