Sri Lanka vs. India, 2nd Test, Day 5: Away Side Take Convincing Victory
It did not take them long, and in the end, it was easy for India as they bowled out Sri Lanka for 134 in Colombo and won the second Test by 278 runs.
India's win evened the series at 1-1 with one game to play. The away side have taken charge of the game and not let up in their pursuit of victory.
India were indebted to the efforts of Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 5-42, and a supporting role from Amit Mishra who took 3-29.
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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled for the second time in the match to speak perhaps of a broader problem within their team.
The series will stay in Colombo for the third Test, but before it moves on, let’s take a look back at the fifth and final day of the second Test.
Sri Lanka’s batting crumbles again
Sri Lanka resumed on 72-2, with Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews at the crease and seemingly well placed to get big scores.
However, things fell apart rapidly as the hosts scored just 62 runs for the loss of eight wickets and slid to a poor defeat.
It was the second time in the game their batting had crumbled, having lost their last seven wickets for 65 in the first innings too.
Once Mathews was dismissed, there was little resistance from the remaining batsmen, with Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne the only others to reach double figures on Monday.
With star batsman Kumar Sangakkara set to retire, it is a worrying trend.
The Sri Lankans will need to determine why their batting is failing in such a way and fix it quickly, or else they will succumb to even more embarrassing defeats in the future.
Ravichandran Ashwin the chief destroyer
India were led to victory by Ashwin, who took 5-42 in the second innings to hustle Sri Lanka to defeat.
On a slow pitch offering plenty for the spinners, Ashwin removed the key man Karunaratne as well as Thirimanne, who hit a massive six and looked in ominous form.
However, he was not the only bowler to impress, as Mishra also looked in good form, finishing with 3-29 from just 9.4 overs.
Mishra mopped up the tail-enders late on but also dismissed Chandimal, who has shown an ability to counter-attack and make life difficult for India.
It was a strong effort from both players, who took advantage of their side’s dominance with the bat and earned them a commanding victory.
India level series; set up intriguing final Test
With India’s victory, the series is level at 1-1 with one Test to play, which begins later this week in Colombo.
On the surface, the away side have the momentum going into the game, having won so decisively in the second Test.
However, with both Wriddhiman Saha and Murali Vijay unavailable through injury for the last game, their charge has been dented somewhat.
Naman Ojha and Karun Nair will join up with the squad for the third Test, and Sri Lanka may well get a boost from seeing their opponents weakened somewhat.
Either way, the final Test promises to be a good one, especially after India’s win in the second.
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