Kohli: The pitch was very good to bat on. It was on the slower side but there was nothing much happening on the pitch. I tried to keep the scoreboard ticking and get the runs quickly so that the bowlers have enough time to bowl out the opposition. Just trying to get into the mindset for when we tour. I wanted to always get big knocks and not so much because people were talking about it. When you get set you have score the big hundreds because that is when the team can be in a really good position. Always nice to have a lot of players scoring runs especially given that we have a lot of Test cricket coming up. The same for Ishant – he was outstanding and the amount of first class cricket he played coming into the match helped. The spinners did well but I thought Ishant was the stand-out bowler in this game. This wicket deteriorated after the second day but Kolkata was really nice.
Chandimal: Actually, it was a good toss to win. Unfortunately, we were outplayed from the first day. Our batting unit let us down. Before we came here, we had a game plan for each and every bowler. We wanted to captialise on our starts but we have been unable to do much with the starts – we get just 50-60. Angelo Mathews has not fired for us but I am sure he will come back and perform well. We need to take some positive out of this – our body language while bowling was superb. So we need to do more of that.
Sri Lanka 166 all out after 49.3 overs: And with his 300th wicket, Ashwin ends the match. A carrom ball did the trick, it got past the bat and hit the off-stump. In the end, it was easy but what an achievement it is. India have won by an innings and 239 runs.
Also, it is India’s biggest win in Test cricket:
- innings and 239 runs vs Bangladesh in 2007
- innings and 239 runs vs Sri Lanka today
- innings and 219 runs vs Australia in 1998
Sri Lanka 165/9 after 46.5 overs: That is end of the Sri Lankan skipper. Dinesh Chandimal is walking back after being caught in the deep. Almost over now.
LD Chandimal c Ashwin b Yadav 61 (82b, 10x4)
Sri Lanka 147/8 after 42 overs: And we are back after lunch. How much longer do you see this match lasting?
LUNCH
Sri Lanka 145/8 after 41 overs: Chandimal gets to his 2nd fifty of the match in the last over of an extended session. He’s fighting a lone battle but it’s been an abject session for Sri Lanka. India have bowled and caught well (except a drop in that last over by Ishant off his own bowling) but boy, have the Lankans been bad. Some ridiculous shot-making, really. Let’s see how long the match lasts post-lunch and if Ashwin gets to No. 300 in his 54th match.
Sri Lanka 136/8 after 40 overs: It’s an extended first session in Nagpur, with just two Sri Lankan wickets left. Chandimal and Lakmal have decided to just go down swinging. Kohli has an in-out field with the spinners bowling in tandem but the two batsmen are just trying to clear the field and the balls keep falling in vacant territories. 26 runs in the last four overs.
Sri Lanka 110/8 after 36 overs, Ashwin strikes twice in the over! It’s a procession in Nagpur. First Dilruwan Perera is given out LBW and a review doesn’t save him – turning from middle, but clips the leg stump. Rangana Herath is also gone for a duck, gloving it to Rahane at first slip. Ashwin now has 51 Test wickets in 2017 and is one short of 300.
Sri Lanka 107/6 after 34 overs, the collapse continues: It was only a matter of time. File Shanaka’s wicket under “expected”. Another wild swing, this time it’s just high. KL Rahul takes a skier, Ashwin has the last laugh.
Sri Lanka 101/5 after 33 overs: 25 runs from the last two overs as Sri Lanka try to counterattack. Ashwin targeted by Dasun Shanaka, 16 runs from the over but it’s mostly just wild swinging – Ashwin will be pleased with that, he’s not really getting read. Chandimal gets a couple of boundaries off Ishant, one an edge to 3rd man.
Sri Lanka 76/5 after 31 overs, Ishant strikes: Well, that’s just excellent bowling, not much Dickwella could have done about this. Around the stumps from Ishant, it straightens after landing and Kohli juggles, takes it at 2nd slip. Fine spell of bowling this, by Ishant Sharma.
Sri Lanka 73/4 after 30 overs: Kohli has been rotating his bowlers around. Once again it’s Ishant and Ashwin back bowling in tandem. And a great first over by both of them on their return to the bowling crease. Both the bowlers giving Chandimal a torrid time – the pacer with some nasty leg-cutters with variable bounce, Ashwin with some sharp turn and bounce. Dickwella staying busy at the other end.
Sri Lanka 68/4 after 26 overs, Mathews is gone! Frankly, this is some atrocious cricket by Sri Lanka. And from their most experience batsmen too. It’s Mathews’ turn to play a ridiculous shot – tries to drive Jadeja over mid-off, but gets nowhere close to the pitch of the ball and ends up finding Rohit Sharma’s safe hands. First over after drinks. Imagine that.
Sri Lanka 68/3 after 25 overs, drinks in Nagpur: Chandimal has decided he won’t just defend his way to safety, has hit three boundaries since coming in to bat. Umesh Yadav is in the middle of a good spell, probing both Mathews and Chandimal outside off-stump, with the ball showing signs of reversing already. Sri Lanka almost lose their fourth going into the drinks break with the batsmen committing for a suicidal run, Chandimal was way short if KL Rahul got his bearings right and made a direct-hit. That would have been catastrophic.
Sri Lanka 52/3 after 21 overs, Umesh Yadav strikes: Oh goodness, what was that by Thirimanne! It was wide (really wide) by Umesh Yadav and Thirimanne just stays at the crease and throws his bat at it and spoons it to Jadeja at point, who doesn’t move an inch to take a simple catch. The batsman shakes his head in disgust, smiles all around for India for a real bonus wicket. Chandimal comes out and plays an uppish flick for four to start.
Sri Lanka 48/2 after 20 overs: Kohli has tried all four of his main bowlers in the first hour today. It’s now Jadeja and Umesh bowling in tandem. After playing 14 dot balls to start with, Angelo Mathews (who might as well be the most important player for Sri Lanka if they are to avoid a big defeat) flicks Jadeja over mid-on, all bottom-hand, for a six. Thirimanne, at the other end, is playing a steady hand.
Sri Lanka 34/2 after 16 overs, Jadeja strikes! The bowling change works like a treat for Virat Kohli. First over of the day for Sir, second ball and Karunaratne tries to on-drive a very full ball which turns sharply at the last minute and gets a thick inside edge. And M Vijay does the rest in style – he pouches the ball when it lands on his midriff and doesn’t let go, celebrates a fine catch like he is Imran Tahir.
Sri Lanka 34/1 after 14 overs: So it’s Ishant and Ashwin who have been entrusted the responsibility of starting things of India today. Ishant from over the wicket to Karunaratne, starts with a bad ball on the pads that’s glanced fine for four. Thirimanne, at the other end, comes down the track and lofts it over mid off for four and then the next ball Ashwin gets it to turn square from middle stump. First hint of sharp turn today after Ashwin has been pushing it straight with his arm from around the wicket. Ishant, into the rhythm, gets a little bounce off the track next over and gets an outside edge off Karunaratne – it falls just short of the first slip. Intriguing start to the day.
Meanwhile in the Ashes... Australia and the Gabba, eh?
Sri Lanka 21/1 after 10 overs: R Ashwin starts off proceedings for India unsurprisingly. And starts off with a maiden to Thirimanne. Steady offside line from around the wicket.
Meanwhile, here’s our writer Kushal Phatarpekar on Virat Kohli’s double century, his 5th as captain.
Day four review:
Virat Kohli hit a blistering double century to hand India a massive first innings lead of 405 as the hosts tightened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka on day three on Sunday. India declared on 610/6 after Rohit Sharma (102) had completed his hundred, as they seek to go one up in the three-match series.
The visitors were in early trouble on 21/1 at stumps in Nagpur, still trailing India by 384 runs.
Dimuth Karunaratne, on 11, and Lahiru Thirimanne, on 9, were at the crease after paceman Ishant Sharma bowled Sadeera Samarawickrama for 0 with the second ball of the innings.
The day belonged to Kohli, who hit a majestic 213 before falling to off-spinner Dilruwan Perera. He walked off to a standing ovation from a raucous crowd.
09:25: Hello and welcome to the live blog of the penultimate day (or is it the final day?) of the second Test between Indian and Sri Lanka in Nagpur.