Super India canter home

Only once in the history of Test cricket more than 600 runs have been scored in the fourth innings and that happened when England replied with 645/5 while chasing South Africa’s 696 in 1939. And, no more than 418 runs have been scored in a successful chase ever -- West Indies made 418/7 to beat Australia in 2003.

In this backdrop, India’s target of 550 runs to Sri Lanka in the opening Test at the Galle International Stadium, where the highest fourth innings total is 300 all out by Pakistan in a losing cause, was beyond hosts’ grasp from the start of the chase itself. With two batsmen indisposed due to different injuries suffered during the course of play, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Lanka would take the fight to the final day or cave in on the fourth day itself.

At various stages, the home batsmen threatened to delay India’s celebrations but their resolve eventually broke in the final session of the penultimate day’s play here on Saturday. On a wicket where there wasn’t much turn or bounce for spinners or movement off it for the pacers, Indian bowlers did exceedingly well to skittle Lanka for 245 in 76.5 overs.

After pacers Mohammad Shami (1/43) and Umesh Yadav (1/42) prised out Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka early in the chase, R Ashwin (3/65) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/71) combined to gobble up six of the eight Lankan wickets they needed to take to give India a winning start. With Asela Gunaratne and Rangana Herath unable to bat after sustaining finger injuries, India completed the rout with more than a day’s play left in the match. The 304-run victory should go a long way in assuaging their hurt of loss from a winning position at this venue in 2015.         

On another productive day for India in more ways than one, skipper Virat Kohli coasted to his 17th century that brought him on par with Dilip Vengsarkar and VVS Laxman who both have 17 tons each but they played 116 and 134 Tests respectively to Indian skipper’s 58 appearances.

Only Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar have more centuries than Kohli among Indian batsmen. Having gone seven Test innings without a fifty, Kohli, overnight 76, took 22 balls to bring up his hundred in the morning (103 n.o., 160m, 136b, 5x4, 1x6). Soon after, India declared their innings closed at 240 with Ajinkya Rahane helping himself to an unbeaten 23.   

Only a couple of weeks ago, Lanka had scored a record 391 runs to pull off a four-wicket win in Colombo but that had come against Zimbabwe. It was going to be a different proposition against a much-superior Indian attack. Tharanga played on Shami after essaying a couple of rasping shots while Gunathilaka flicked Umesh straight to Cheteshwar Pujara at midwicket as Lanka slipped to 2/29 in no time. Tharanga had been reprieved by Kohli only the previous ball at second slip but Shami ensured he had his man.

Dimuth Karunaratne (97, 288m, 209b, 9x4) and Kusal Mendis (36) set about the repair job with a 79-run stand when a lapse in concentration saw the latter edge one to Wriddhiman Saha. Angelo Mathews then played a casual stroke to fall early, Jadeja being the bowler again. At 116/4, the end appeared near but a solid Karunaratne and an enterprising Niroshan Dickwella (67, 94b, 10x4) weren’t going to go down without a fight.

The left-handed combo defied the Indian attack for 164 balls (101 runs) before Ashwin opened the flood gates with his first wicket of the innings when he had a sweeping Dickwella caught by Saha. The off-spinner then cleaned up Karunaratne and had Nuwan Pradeep caught by Kohli in the same over before Jadeja dismissed Lahiru Kumara to complete the formalities.

score board

INDIA (I Innings): 600 all out
SRI LANKA (I Innings): 291 all out
INDIA (II Innings; O/n: 189/3):
Dhawan c Gunathilaka b Dilruwan    14
(15m, 14b, 3x4)
Mukund lbw Gunathilaka    81
(203m, 116b, 8x4)
Pujara c K Mendis b Kumara    15
(52m, 35b, 2x4)
Kohli (not out)    103
(160m, 136b, 5x4, 1x6)
Rahane (not out)    23
(28m, 18b, 2x4)
Extras (LB-1, W-2, NB-1)    4
Total (for 3 wkts decl, 53 overs)    240
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Dhawan), 2-56 (Pujara), 3-189 (Mukund)
Bowling: Pradeep 12-2-63-0 (nb-1), Dilruwan 15-0-67-1, Kumara 12-1-59-1 (w-2), Herath 9-0-34-0, Gunathilaka 5-0-16-1.
SRI LANKA (II Innings):
Karunaratne b Ashwin    97
(288m, 208b, 9x4)
Tharanga b Shami    10
(12m, 10b, 2x4)
Gunathilaka c Pujara b Umesh    2
(11m, 8b)
K Mendis c Saha b Jadeja    36
(92m, 71b, 3x4)
Mathews c Pandya b Jadeja    2
(9m, 10b)
Dickwella c Saha b Ashwin    67
(113m, 94b, 10x4)
Dilruwan (not out)    21
(51m, 50b, 3x4)
Pradeep c Kohli b Ashwin    0
(1m, 2b)
Kumara c Shami b Jadeja    0
(8m, 8b)
Extras (LB-3, W-7)    10

Total (all out, 76.5 overs)    245
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Tharanga), 2-29 (Gunathilaka), 3-108 (Mendis), 4-116 (Mathews), 5-217 (Dickwella), 6-240 (Karunaratne), 7-240 (Pradeep), 8-245 (Kumara).

Bowling: Shami 9-0-43-1 (w-5), Umesh 9-0-42-1, Jadeja 24.5-4-71-3, Ashwin 27-4-65-3, Pandya 7-0-21-0 (w-2).