SRI v IND, 2nd Test, Day 4 Review: Jadeja helps India clinch the match and series with a day left

Sri Lanka exhibited some high-quality cricket on Day 3 and 4 with the bat, but that wasn’t enough for them to save the game. India registered another emphatic victory in the Isles courtesy a “Sir Jadeja show” and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Sri Lanka began day 4 with a daunting task in hand to condense the gigantic lead they had conceded. Nevertheless, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis’ effort helped them finish with an effort of respectability. Starting the day at 209/2, Pushpakumara and Karunaratne batted with great patience.

The duo did their level best to play as many overs as possible and they managed to restrict the flow of wickets for some time. Karunaratne soon reached his hundred with a boundary off Mohammed Shami. But Pushpakumara’s resilience soon came to an end as Ashwin broke the shackles.

Skipper Dinesh Chandimal had a tough task in hand to sail through this storm and he succumbed to the pressure after facing just 6 balls. Ravindra Jadeja took his wicket and opened his wicket tally in the second innings, adding to his two in the first innings.

Karunaratne – Solid as a rock!

The southpaw was just not willing to let his effort go in vain and he stuck in there with authority. To add to some glorious drives, he defended quite brilliantly against the turning ball. Jadeja was just about cutting loose and posing more threat, but Karunaratne was winning the personal duel.

Accompanied by Angelo Mathews (36 off 66 balls), the 29-year-old hung in for long enough to frustrate the Indian spinners. Mathews also hit some beautiful strokes in their partnership and it seemed as though the visitors will find it incredibly difficult to get rid of them.

Karunaratne’s extravagant innings was brought to an end by none of other than the breakthrough man, Jadeja. He added a valiant 61-run stand with Mathews and departed after scoring 141 off 307 balls. This indeed was a mind boggling effort from the Islanders’ but it was too little too late.

After Karunaratne’s wicket, everything was a formality for the Indians to wrap up the hosts and finish off the game and the series. Mathews and Dilruwan Perera too fell in quick succession and they started to fall apart. Niroshan Dickwella (31 off 56 balls) was keen to throw a fight and he tried to stick in with few of the lower order players. But Jadeja, Ashwin and Pandya pulled their A game to wrap the series off as soon as possible.

First, Dhananjaya de Silva was spellbound with a peach of a delivery from Jadeja. After facing the heat for 10 more overs after de Silva’s wicket, Dickwella was the next to leave and Hardik Pandya picked up his second in the innings. In the very next over, Ashwin took Nuwan Pradeep’s wicket to gift India yet another memorable away series victory.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 386 in 116.5 overs and India registered a victory with a margin of an innings and 53 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo. Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged the Man of the Match for his all-round rendition of attacking batting and bowling, especially in Sri Lanka’s second innings. 

India had won a Test series in Sri Lanka after more than two decades in 2015. This victory though will be more special considering how authoritative and dominant the Indians were throughout the course of the game. This is also the eighth series victory for India in a row under the leadership of the spectacular Virat Kohli.

Brief Scores

Ist innings

India- 622/9 decl. (Cheteshwar Pujara  133, Ajinkya Rahane 132; Rangana Herath 4/154)

Sri Lanka- 183/10 (Niroshan Dickwella 51; Ravichandran Ashwin 5/69)

IInd innings

Sri Lanka- 386 all out in 116.5 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 141, Kusal Mendis 110; Ravindra Jadeja 5/152)