India on Saturday crushed the West Indies by 237 runs on the fifth and final day of the third Test in St Lucia, clinching the series after the home team collapsed to 108 all out.
The win gave the touring team an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series and ended a streak of six consecutive series defeats outside Asia.
India had not won or drawn a series outside the subcontinent since defeating the West Indies in the Caribbean in 2011.
They have now won three straight series in the West Indies after losing seven of their first eight in the Caribbean.
India won the third Test, despite losing a day to rain at the Darren Sammy Stadium in Gros Islet.
The West Indies’ total of 108 was their second-lowest against India, after they made 103 in Jamaica in 2006.
The tourists batted for nine overs at the start of play on Saturday, adding 60 quick runs before captain Virat Kohli declared on 217-7.
That left the West Indies needing 346 for victory, a target that never looked remotely possible after both openers went cheaply, Leon Johnson for a duck and Kraigg Brathwaite for four.
No. 4 Marlon Samuels looked uncomfortable against the pace attack, taking 21 balls to get off the mark.
Samuels eventually advanced to 12 before being removed by paceman Ishant Sharma, the third time in a row he was clean-bowled in the series.
No. 3 Darren Bravo was the only batsman to offer significant resistance. He made an assured 59 before falling to paceman Mohammed Shami, caught at short leg.
Shami finished with figures of 3-15, while Sharma and spinner Ravindra Jadeja collected two wickets each.
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA
Reuters, COLOMBO
Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh yesterday scored unbeaten half-centuries to launch a strong response from Australia after Dinesh Chandimal’s patient hundred pushed Sri Lanka’s first-innings total to 355 on the second day of the third and final Test.
Chandimal (132) continued Sri Lanka’s superb fightback with his seventh Test century after they were reduced to 26-5 on the first morning, with the hosts’ innings finally coming to an end just before tea.
Australia, who face the very real prospect of losing their top Test ranking and suffering a 3-0 series sweep, lost David Warner (11) early to Dhananjaya de Silva, but Smith (61) and Marsh (64) then added 120 for the unbroken second wicket.
At stumps, Australia reached 141-1, trailing Sri Lanka by 214 runs.
Earlier, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked up the last two wickets to fall, including Chandimal, to complete his seventh career five-wicket haul and take his series tally to 22.
After resuming on 214-5, De Silva (129) and Chandimal ended Australia’s hopes of quick wickets by extending their sixth-wicket stand to 211 before the overnight centurion became off-spinner Nathan Lyon’s third victim.
Shaun Marsh, who on Saturday had dropped De Silva after the batsman had completed his maiden hundred, managed to hold onto the catch at forward short leg this time.
Dilruwan Perera (16) was the only other batsman to fall in the first session, giving left-arm spinner Jon Holland his first wicket of the innings as the batsman lofted a drive to Lyon at long on as he looked to up the tempo.
Chandimal, 26, was mostly watchful and concentrated hard during his knock, but broke free to move into the 80s when he reverse swept Lyon for a superb six over the deep point boundary.
He turned Lyon for a single to square leg to complete his hundred off 281 balls, celebrating with a loud yell as he leaped in the air. He was dropped by Australia captain Steven Smith off the very next delivery.
Chandimal and Rangana Herath added 73 runs for the eighth wicket, deepening the frustration for Australia.
The partnership ended with Herath retiring injured after suffering a body blow against paceman Josh Hazlewood.
Left-arm paceman Starc had Chandimal edging behind on the second delivery of his new spell and then dismissed Suranga Lakmal in his next over to complete his third consecutive five-wicket haul.
ENGLAND VS PAKISTAN
Reuters, LONDON
Pakistan yesterday picked up two wickets including the key one of Moeen Ali as England moved onto 194-6 at lunch on the fourth day of the final Test at The Oval.
Jonny Bairstow was unbeaten on 70 for the hosts, who trail by 20 runs and still face an uphill task to save the match and prevent Pakistan from leveling the series at 2-2.
After England had resumed on 88-4, fast bowler Sohail Khan had Gary Ballance caught by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed for 17.
Moeen, who made a century in the first innings, played freely from the start, and he and Bairstow added 65 for the sixth wicket to give England hope.
However, shortly before lunch, Yasir Shah deceived Moeen with a quicker delivery and the left-hander, on 32, nicked another catch to a gleeful Sarfraz to give the leg-spinner his fourth wicket of the innings.
Chris Woakes, England’s last recognized batsman, was unbeaten on naught at the interval.
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