India on Tuesday clinched their first Test series victory on Sri Lankan soil in 22 years with an emphatic 117-run win over the hosts in the third and final cricket Test despite a valiant century by rival skipper Angelo Mathews.
After setting a daunting victory target of 386, India managed to dismiss the Sri Lankans for 268 on a wicket which slowed down considerably to wrap up the series 2-1, their first overseas series victory since June, 2011 against the West Indies.
It was new captain Virat Kohli’s first series win ever since he took over reins of the team from Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Chasing 386 to win, Sri Lanka, despite a century by skipper Angelo Mathews, were bowled out for 268, with R Ashwin again leading the Indian attack with four wickets. That took the offspinner’s tally in the three-Test series to a staggering 21 wickets, and his 58 with the bat in this match combined to earn him the Man-of-the-Series award.
Ishant Sharma was the other notable contributor with the ball taking 3 for 32, with his last wicket also bringing up the landmark of 200 Test wickets. He took 13 wickets in the series, which included eight in this Test.
The series win was also India’s first away from home in four years. The historic victory also earned Virat Kohli his first Test trophy as India captain.
Sri Lanka gave India a scare through the sixth-wicket stand of 135 between Mathews (110) and Kusal Perera (70), but India didn’t lose heart and kept at the job to eventually break the stand through Ashwin who removed the latter just before tea.
India came back after tea to quickly wrap up the last four wickets with the second new ball before Kohli & Co pulled out the stumps as souvenirs.
With the bat, it was Man-of-the-Match Cheteshwar Pujara’s 145* that revived India with the bat in the first innings after they lost their top order on the rain-marred first day that saw just 15 overs bowled.
India went on to score 312 and then, with Ishant’s 5 for 54, bowled the hosts out for 201 to take a crucial 111-run lead in the first innings. India lost their top order cheaply again in the second innings but a combined batting effort by the middle and lower order saw the visitors extend their lead to 385, which proved too much for Sri Lanka in the end.
