Jadeja’s fifer spins India to innings-win in Colombo Test

Colombo [Sri Lanka]: A five-wicket haul from Ravindra Jadeja helped India beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 53-runs in the Colombo Test on Sunday, thus taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Following on Day Four at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Sri Lanka came out with a spirited performance and showed some signs of promise in their second innings. However, they suffered another batting collapse and were ultimately bundled out for 386, thus handing India yet another comprehensive win. The hosts, who displayed a shambolic batting performance in the first innings and got for 183, showed great fightback in the second, courtesy inspiring batting performances from Kusal Mendis (110) and Dimuth Karunaratne (141). Both the batters scored terrific centuries and made the Indian bowlers toil hard on the SSC wicket which went on getting slower with the passage of time. However, once the duo got, followed by the wicket of Angelo Mathews (36) and Niroshan Dickwella (31), it was rather easy for the Indian bowlers to get past the tail. Jadeja, the no. 1 ranked bowler and all-rounder in the world, was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he picked up yet another five-wicket ball. He was well supported by Ravichandran Ashwin (2-132), Hardik Pandya (2-31). Umesh Yadav also chipped in with a wicket. Jadeja was adjudged the Man of the Match for his match figures of 7-236 in 61 overs apart from unbeaten 70 with the bat in the first innings. In the first innings, he had completed 150 wickets in Test cricket with two wickets in 32 Tests. He is the fastest left-arm bowler to the mark. Earlier in the game, India continued their dominance over the host on day one of the second Test after registering a historic win at Galle. The visitors posted a gigantic first-innings score of 622/9 declared, courtesy centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara (133) and Ajinkya Rahane (132). Apart from the two, Ashwin (54), Wriddhiman Saha (67), Lokesh Rahul (57) and Jadeja (70*) contributed to the score. This was India’s eighth consecutive Test series win. Virat Kohli’s men will now the play the final Test beginning August 12 before starting off with the five-match ODI series and a lone T20. (ANI)