India completed their biggest win in Sri Lanka by run-margin, dismantling Rangana Herath’s team for just 245 after setting them a humongous target of 550 to win by 304 runs on Day 4 of the first Test between the two teams in Galle on Saturday.
Resuming India’s second innings, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane only batted for half-an-hour but that was enough for the captain to get his 17th half-century. Apart from a stolid 97 from Danushka Gunathilaka and an enterprising 67 from Niroshan Dickwella, there was not a lot of resistance from the Lankans. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three apiece as India went 1-0 up in the series.
As it happened:
4.30 pm: THAT’s IT. Jadeja gets his third, Kumara tried to slog him..never a good idea. Shami takes the catch and Sri Lanka have been bowled out for 245. India win by 304 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan is the Man of the Match for his brilliant 190.
4.18 pm: It looks like SL’s innings and the match will end today. Ashwin gets his third, dismisses Pradeep at bat-pad. Sri Lanka 240/7. No Herath, No Gunaratne so India need one just one more.
4.15 pm: He will not get it. Oh Karunaratne, what have you done? Patient, stolid for so long...all for a rush of blood on 97. Tries to swipe Ashwin away and reach a century, inside-edges onto his stumps. No century for him, SL 240/6.
4.00 pm: Dilruwan Perera, following Dickwella and his own 90 from the first innings, has been quite free-flowing with his shots so far. Already moved into 14 while Karunaratne nears a hard-fought 100. SL 236/5.
3.36 pm: Finally, Ashwin gets a wicket. Dickwella sweeped, a little too much, and got a top-edge which Saha gleefully snapped up. Big appeal, given by the umpire. His enterprising little innings comes to an end for 67 and some relief for Ashwin. SL 217/5.
3.25 pm: We resume after tea and Dickwella brings up his fifty. A little streaky but very well-played. Sri Lanka’s 200 also comes up.
Kohli the captain > Kohli not the captain.
3.00 pm: Tea. Dickwella and Karunaratne have done well to hang in there so far. The partnership is 76 and Sri Lanka are 192/4. Karunaratne is 85 and deserves a century while for Dickwella, it’s been a chaotic knock but he is still 48.
2.38 pm: Another 12 mins till tea...Rahane dropped a tough catch at slip. Sri Lanka must aim to survive till tea. Dickwella has been ticking along well to 42 but is quite lucky to have been there. SL 182/4.
2.21 pm: Somewhat miraculously, Dickwella has settled down and rolled out a few trademark sweeps to move into the 30s. Ashwin, quite curiously, is wicketless so far and the partnership between Dickwella and Karunaratne has crossed fifty. SL 170/4.
What does the weather say? Err...
1.45 pm: Right, Dickwella has kept everyone at the edge of their seats. Boundaries, edges...everything. Sri Lanka live to live dangerously, don’t they? Currently 142/4.
The Ashwin-Jadeja monster.
1.22 pm: That is abject from Angelo Mathews. Senior player, SL trying to save the game....new batsman and he tries to hoick the wicket-taker Jadeja over leg-side. Only spoons a catch to Hardik Pandya to go for 2. SL 116/4.
1.08 pm: This time, India review successfully and Sri Lanka are three down. Kusal Mendis pokes at one from Jadeja outside off-stump, Saha takes it. Umpire said not out, Kohli went and did the right thing, Mendis departs for 36. Partnership of 79 comes to an end. Sri Lanka 108/3.
1.00 pm: We resume after lunch and Karunaratne gets to a well-made fifty. Well done, good batting and all...but SL need a lot, lot more. Saha forced Kohli to go for a review for a caught-behind but replays showed there was nothing. SL 103/2.
12.05 pm: LUNCH. And Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis have done well here. A 56-run stand which has taken Sri Lanka to 85/2. Long long task ahead though...SL need 465 runs yet.
Here’s some more reading for your lunch break...Chetan Narula on how Kohli lit up a dull day in Galle.
“But this is Kohli you are talking about, an endless bundle of energy, almost as if his body is bursting with so much adrenaline that he needs to keep things ticking. It is a personal trait that rubs off on his captaincy as well – always in the face of opponents, whether batsmen or bowlers. Isn’t he the most joyous Indian fielder whenever a wicket falls?”
And for non-cricket stuff, an interview with the Indian men’s national team coach, Stephen Constantine.
“I hammered them on a daily basis. With me, these phrases – aaram se (with ease), theek hai (it’s all right), koi baat nahi (no worries) – they don’t fly at all”
11.36 am: Despite the big score ahead, Sri Lanka are scoring at a run rate of close to five. Perhaps, they would be better suited to take things easy. India won’t mind, they know they need to plug away. 67/2 in 14.
Abhinav Mukund and Virat Kohli made their debuts in the same match. Is Mukund a fan of The Fault in Our Stars?
“The other player [Kohli] was dropped for India’s upcoming series to England that year while Mukund was picked. But Mukund had a torrid time in the only two Tests he played in England and was left out of the Indian team. That other player was included in the Indian team when they toured Australia at the end of 2011, scored two centuries on the tour and is now considered among the greatest batsmen in the world.”
11.15 am: Sri Lanka are scoring quite breezily, they’ve scored 47 in 9 overs. Unfortunately, they’ve lost two wickets already. Maybe do as well as you can before the inevitable happens?
Interesting stat, now that Kohli’s Test average is above 50 again.
10.55 am: And now Sri Lanka lose their second. Danushka Gunathilaka chips to square leg and hands Pujara an easy catch. This could be over fast. Sri Lanka 29/2.
10.41 am: First wicket down for Sri Lanka. Upul Tharanga chops on to his stumps to Mohammed Shami and Sri Lanka are 22/1. This came two balls after Kohli had dropped a sitter.
10.11 am: Hundred for Virat, his 17th Test century and India declare, setting Sri Lanka a target of 550. String of low scores, emphatically answers the doubters. Only Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid have scored more centuries as captain.
9.50 am: Same old Sri Lanka. Ajinkya Rahane was halfway down, haring down...would have been out with a throw at his end. But the throw went to the keeper. Kohli serene at the other end, swipes away to mid-wicket for two. India 196/3.
No Herath for Sri Lanka. Coupled with no Gunaratne of course.
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