Ravindra Jadeja yesterday bagged his ninth five-wicket haul in Test cricket to help India crush Sri Lanka by an innings and 53 runs in the second Test and secure the three-match series 2-0 with a match to be played.
Batting first, India declared its first innings on 622 for nine and dismissed Sri Lanka for 183 and enforced the follow-on, commanding a 439-run lead. Sri Lanka performed better in the second innings, but could not prevent an innings defeat when they were bowled out for 386 with more than a day to spare.
India have secured the series by taking a 2-0 lead that includes a 304-run win in the first Test in Galle.
Photo: Reuters
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne and No. 3 Kusal Mendis scored centuries and shared 191 runs for the second wicket to lift Sri Lanka’s spirits in the second innings.
Mendis scored his third Test century and was out for 110 off 135 deliveries, a spell that included 17 boundaries.
Sri Lanka resumed day four on 209 for two and looked determined to make India bat again. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled out Malinda Pushpakumara for 16 when the nightwatchman tried a reverse sweep then left-arm spinner Jadeja opened his account removing the Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal for just two, caught by Ajinkya Rahane at slip.
Karunaratne was then joined by Angelo Mathews and the pair consolidated the innings going to lunch on 302 for four.
However Jadeja dismissed Karunaratne soon after lunch having him caught by Rahane with the total on 310.
Karunaratne made 141 for his sixth Test century. He spent more than six hours at the crease, faced 307 deliveries and hit 16 boundaries.
The third and final Test is to begin in Pallekele on Saturday.
ENGLAND, S AFRICA
AFP, MANCHESTER, England
South Africa were dismissed for 226 yesterday in reply to England’s first innings 362, a deficit of 136 runs, on the third day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
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James Anderson took four wickets for 38 runs in 17 overs from the newly named James Anderson End as England’s all-time leading wicket-taker recorded his best Test figures on his Lancashire home ground.
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