India cantered to a 278-run win on the fifth day of the second Test at the P Sara Oval to level the three-match series 1-1. Continuing to dominate, the Virat Kohli-led side claimed seven wickets in the morning after the hosts resumed their 413-run chase on 72 for two. Although rain forced an early lunch with the visitors within a wicket of victory, they came back to wrap-up the SL innings for 134 runs minutes into the second session. After Umesh Yadav sent back Angelo Mathews off the first ball of the day, Ravichandran Ashwin (5/42) and Amit Mishra (3/29) ran through the rest of the line-up to bowl India to a thumping victory.
The SL line-up crumbled on the fifth morning. The SL captain edged Yadav and KL Rahul, keeping wickets in place of the injured Wriddhiman Saha, took an excellent catch diving full length to his right.
The hosts faced an uphill task as they looked to keep the innings afloat. Amit Mishra tipped the balance further in the visitors’ favour by claiming Dinesh Chandimal. Brought into the attack in the seventh over of the day, the leg-spinner castled the batsman as he looked to sweep with a delivery that turned and knocked back the stumps.
At 91 for four Lahiru Thirimanne joined the opener in the middle. 15 runs later, Ashwin had the middle-order bat edge the ball to silly point where substitute Cheteshwar Pujara took the catch. Wickets continued to fall in hurry at the other end even as the opener held up one end. In the following over Ishant Sharma had Jehan Mubarak edge to the slips, where the India captain took a low catch to leave SL on 111 for six. In the next over, Dhammika Prasad took the aerial route only to be caught by Mishra at mid-on off Ashwin. In his next over, Ashwin knocked back Karunaratne’s middle-stump to dislodge the bails and take India within two wickets of victory.
Mishra, who had also wrapped up SL’s first innings, had Tharindu Kaushal trapped lbw with a googly. SL were reeling on 130 for nine when rain interrupted play and an early lunch was taken. The leg-spinner then had Duhsmantha Chameera too trapped leg-before wicket on the seventh ball after lunch to bowl the opposition out in 43.4 overs.
Result: India win
Man of the Match: KL Rahul for his century in India's first innings to set up the game for India
End of Day 1: India 1st inn 319/6 in 87.2 overs (KL Rahul 108, R Sharma 79, V Kohli 78, D Prasad 2/72, R Herath 2/73)
End of Day 2: India 1st inn 393 all out in 114 overs (W Saha 56, A Mishra 24, R Herath 4/81, A Mathews 2/24); Sri Lanka 1st inn 140/3 in 53 overs (K Silva 51, K Sangakkara 32, L Thirimanne 28*, A Mishra 1/9, U Yadav 1/34)
End of Day 3: Sri Lanka 1st inn 306 all out in (A Mathews 102, L Thirimanne 62, A Mishra 4/43, I Sharma 2/68); India 2nd inn 70/1 in 29.2 overs (M Vijay 39*, A Rahane 28*, D Prasad 1/12)
End of Day 4: India 2nd inn 325/8 in 91 overs (A Rahane 126, M Vijay 82, D Prasad 4/43, T Kaushal 4/118); Sri Lanka 2nd inn 72/2 in 21 overs (D Karunaratne 25*, A Mathews 23*, K Sangakkara 18, R Ashwin 2/27)
End of Day 5: Sri Lanka 2nd inn 134 all out in 43.4 overs (D Karunaratne 46, R Ashwin 5/42, A Mishra 3/29)
