Innings triumph gives India clean sweep
It was all over before tea at 2.40 when last man Lahiru Kumara was bowled by Ashwin for 10, and Sri Lanka bowled out for 181, the innings and 171-run triumph giving India a 3-nil clean sweep in the hill climes of Pallekelle.
If the decimation of the Sri Lankans in significant by an innings margins in the last two tests, and 304 in the first only because India opted not to enforce the follow on for batting practice, was sweet music to Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his charges, to his counterpart, Dinesh Chandimal and his team, the whitewash marked one of the worst home tour defeats in history. India had crashed through for a historic first ever clean sweep in a test series in Sri Lanka.
That India won by massive margins and the final match in just two and a half days bettering the inside of four day triumphs in the first two, did illustrate the superiority Kohli and company enjoyed throughout the 3-match series over the host team.
Sri Lanka’s third day resumption at 19 for 1 wicket trailing by 333 runs with overnight batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne on 12, and night watchman Malinda Pushpakumara on no score, saw India cruise in the usual commanding pattern. Sri Lanka lacked whatever semblance of a fight they offered the Indians in the second test with Karunaratne, the home team second innings centurion in that match, being prised out with the total on 25.
The Indian pace-spin grip forged an ominous grip as Sri Lanka further collapsed to 39 for 4 losing Pushpakumara at 34 and Kusal Mendis for the addition of five runs. Mohammed Shami accounted for both wickets. Skipper Chandimal and Angelo Mathews’ 65-run fifth wicket partnership was the only brief respite for Sri Lanka with Chandimal being dismissed for 36 off 89 balls by Kuldip Yadav with the total on 104. The skipper struck five boundaries. When Mathews fell 14 runs later LBW to Ashwin as in the first innings the fight was good as over. He made 35 off 96 balls and his two boundaries and lusty six was momentary. Next man in Niroshan Dickwella did wage a more or less lone battle to top score with 41off 52 balls inclusive of five boundaries as India wrapped it up.
Ashwin claimed 4 wickets for 64 followed by Mohammed Shami 3 for 32, and U.T. Yadav 2 for 21. Man of the Match was Harthik Pandya was his century down the batting order at No.8, and Man of the Series Sikhar Dhawan for his two big tons.
By Srian Obeyesekere
-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-
