India yesterday won a record ninth straight Test series after drawing with Sri Lanka in the pollution-tainted third and final Test in New Delhi.
Top-ranked India won the series 1-0 to equal Australia’s record of nine successive Test series victories from 2005 to 2008.
The first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Kolkata, India, ended in a draw and the hosts won the second game by an innings and 239 runs.
Sri Lanka managed to salvage some pride in the in final match thanks to Dhananjaya de Silva and Roshen Silva, who defied the odds and fought back to deny India a win.
Dhananjaya, who retired hurt on 119 due to muscle stiffness, and Roshen (74 not out) held Sri Lanka steady over three sessions of play on the final day, after being set 410 for victory late on day four.
Roshen was batting alongside Niroshan Dickwella on 44 when the two teams decided to shake hands with just seven mandatory overs remaining for the day.
TOXIC CONDITIONS
The Test was marred by severe pollution in the Indian capital, with fast bowlers from both sides vomiting on Tuesday.
In an unprecedented move, Sri Lanka players wore face masks while fielding to combat the toxic air, which interrupted play on day two.
The Web site of the US embassy in India yesterday showed that concentrations of the smallest and most harmful airborne pollutants hit 234, better than a day earlier, but still nearly nine times the WHO’s safe limit.
On the field, it was Ravindra Jadeja who rattled the Sri Lanka top order with three strikes, including Angelo Mathews’ key wicket in the morning session.
However, De Silva thwarted the India attack with his third Test hundred.
He built crucial partnerships with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (36) and then with Silva, who began his Test career with a duck in the first innings.
Silva also combined with Dickwella in an unbeaten 94-run stand.
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