Sri Lanka: India beat Sri Lanka by 117 runs in the final test to win the three-match series 2-1 at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Tuesday.

It was Ishant Sharma who drilled the final nail into Sri Lanka’s coffin when he had Angelo Mathews out LBW for 110 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin then got rid of Rangana Herath and Dhammika Prasad in the same over before the last wicket was taken by Amit Mishra as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 268 and India won by 117 runs. India’s win gave them their first series win in Sri Lanka after 22 years and this is Virat Kohli’s first win as skipper.

Brief scores:

India 312 (Cheteshwar Pujara 145*, Amit Mishra 59; Dhammika Prasad 4 for 100) and 274 (Rohit Sharma 50, Stuart Binny 49, Ravichandran Ashwin 58; Nuwan Pradeep 4 for 62, Dhammika Prasad 4 for 69) lead Sri Lanka 201 (Kusal Perera 55, Rangana Herath 49; Ishant Sharma 5 for 54, Stuart Binny 2 for 24, Amit Mishra 2 for 25) and 268 (Angelo Mathews 110, Kusal Perera 70; Ishant Sharma 3 for 32, Ravichandran Ashwin 4 for 69) by 117 runs.

Colombo: India remained on course for an away Test cricket series victory against Sri Lanka after 22 years, as the hosts chasing a challenging target of 386 to win, struggled to reach 67/3 in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day of the third match here on Monday.

Opener Kaushal Silva (24 not out) and skipper Angelo Mathews (22 not out) were at the crease for Sri Lanka at stumps at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC). Indian pacers Ishant Sharma (2-14) and Umesh Yadav (1-32) struck yet again in the second innings to leave the visitors just seven wickets away from a memorable victory.

Virat Kohli-led India slumped to a 63-run loss in the first Test at Galle despite dominating much of the match, but shook off the disappointment by thumping the hosts to a 278-run loss in the second Test at the P. Sara Oval. India are eyeing their first Test series win in the island nation since 1993.

The fourth day of the ongoing Test belonged entirely to India which started off with their batsmen showing their class and composure to build a strong lead. Sri Lanka had managed 201 in the first innings in reply to India’s 312.

Sri Lanka came into bat in the second innings with a daunting 386-run target ahead of them and looked nervous right from the start as opener Upul Tharanga (0) fell in the sixth ball of the innings to Ishant.

Dimuth Karunaratne (0) too perished in the fourth over, leaving Lanka in a spot of bother at 2/2.

In-form batsman Dinesh Chandimal (18) too soon went back to the pavilion, leaving the hosts on a sticky wicket with a day remaining in the Test match.

Earlier, India resumed the fourth day at 21/3, with overnight batsmen Rohit Sharma (50) and Kohli (21) getting the proceedings underway by facing the Sri Lankan bowlers smartly on a bright sunny morning.

But Kohli edged one to first slip off the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep to hand the opposition their first wicket of the day. India were 64/4 then.

Then Stuart Binny joined hands with Rohit for a handy 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take the lead past the 200-run mark.

Just a few minutes before lunch, Rohit gave his wicket away while attempting a pull off a short delivery from pacer Prasad.

With the dismissal of Rohit, debutant wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha joined Binny in the middle as India reached 132/5 at lunch.

The partnership between Binny (49) and Ojha (35) ended soon after lunch as the team’s score reached 160.

After striking seven fours in his 62-ball 49, Binny edged a good length delivery from pacer Dhammika Prasad to Tharanga, who at first slip dived to his left and plucked a low catch.

His partner Ojha who was also looking set, soon fell to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, leaving India wobbling at 179/7.

Two quick wickets did not matter for incoming batsmen Ravichandran Ashwin (58) and Amit Mishra (39) as the duo added some vital runs in a 55-run partnership to push ahead India’s lead.

Off-spinner Ashwin was the highest run-scorer for India and the last wicket to fall as India were bowled out for 274 in their second innings and set a challenging 386-run target for the hosts.

Pacers Nuwan Pradeep and Prasad clinched four wickets each for the hosts.

(IANS)

Colombo: Opener Cheteshwar Pujara’s sublime unbeaten 135-run knock helped India reach 292/8 at stumps on the second day of the third Test against hosts Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here on Saturday.

Rain forced early conclusion of the second day’s proceedings but not before Pujara, partnered by lower-order batsman Amit Mishra (59), put on a 104-run eighth wicket stand to revive India from a precarious position at 119/5.

The stand was India’s highest eighth wicket partnership against Sri Lanka and was also the highest for the eighth wicket at this ground.

At stumps, Pujara was accompanied by Ishant Sharma, who was unbeaten on 2. It was Pujara’s, who is playing the first match of the series, seventh Test century.

The umpires called for halt of play on Saturday when a late shower forced a delay in the proceedings. They then decided to call off play for the day due to a wet outfield in which India scored 292 runs from 95.3 overs bowled.

Sri Lanka’s pacer Dhammika Prasad has been the home team’s best bowler, with an analysis of 83/4 from 23.3 overs when stumps were drawn.

India began at their overnight score of 50/2 only to lose Virat Kohli (18) and Rohit Sharma (26), both of whom perished after getting sound starts.

Kohli was dismissed by Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews who induced an edge from him to be caught by wicketkeeper Kushal Perera. He was sent to the pavilion fairly quickly, in the ninth over of the innings, when, after a 50-run third wicket partnership with Pujara, he flashed at a wide delivery outside his off stump to give an easy chance behind the stumps.

Rohit joined Pujara and they batted with caution, wary of the moving delivery.

Pujara grew in confidence as his duration at the crease increased and reached his fifty in the 43rd over. He batted patiently to negotiate the early morning bowling venom of the hosts.

He and Rohit put together a 55-run third wicket stand but their effort was undone just at the stroke of lunch when the latter edged a moving ball to the first slip.

India were reduced to 119/4 in 45.5 overs at lunch. India scored only 69 runs in 30.5 overs in the morning session, losing those two crucial wickets in the process.

It went from bad to worse when play resumed after lunch with all-rounder Stuart Binny (0) getting out on the first ball of the post-lunch session.

Debutant Naman Ojha (21) forged a 54-run stand for the sixth wicket with Pujara but perished when things began to look up for India. Ravichandran Ashwin’s (5) quick dismissal increased India’s troubles as they lost the seventh wicket for 180 runs.

But from there Pujara, with Mishra in tow, began the revival process. He remained unmoved by the flurry of wickets and played well all around the park — especially elegant while playing the cut shots.

The 27-year-old cut down his strokes as he moved near the three-figure mark even as Mishra played freely. He reached his century in 214 deliveries with the help of nine fours and later added another four boundaries.

Pujara also got a reprieve at his personal score of 117 as Nuwan Pradeep dropped a catch at fine-leg off a Mathews delivery.

(IANS)

Colombo: Rain forced an early end of the first day’s play of the third cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here on Friday, with just about one hour’s play possible.

India were 50/2 against Sri Lanka when rain interrupted play before lunch. Opening batsman Cheteshwar Pujara (19 not out) and captain Virat Kohli (14 not out) were at the crease after 15 overs of play. The game didn’t resume after that.

Earlier, India lost opener Lokesh Rahul (2) and Ajinkya Rahane (8).

(IANS)