Sri Lanka suffer another heavy defeat and lose series

Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja (2R) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Sri Lankan cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva during the fourth day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and India at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on August 6, 2017.

A five-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja helped India to complete an innings and 53-run win over Sri Lanka inside four days at SSC yesterday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match series. It was India’s maiden innings win on Sri Lankan soil.

Following on, Sri Lanka resumed on 209 for two, still needing 230 runs to avoid innings defeat and eventually they were bowled out for 386 to hand the tourists a comfortable win before tea on day four.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne came up with a fine effort to post his sixth Test century and was one of the positives for the Sri Lankans in the game alongside Kusal Mendis, who completed his third Test hundred on Saturday.

Karunaratne resumed on 92 and batted exceptionally well apart from being dropped by Lokesh Rahul at short leg off when on 95. Karunaratne, who made 97 in the Galle Test reached three figures with an on driven four off Mohammad Shami.

Sri Lanka lost only two wickets in the morning session and with lot of batting to follow there were hopes of them erasing the deficit and  make India bat again or possibly extend the game to the final day. But in the sixth over after lunch, Karunaratne was taken by surprise as a delivery from Jadeja jumped off after landing in the middle. The ball brushed the left-hander’s glove and Ajinkaya Rahane at first slip went behind the keeper to complete an easy catch.

The quality of Karunaratne’s knock was appreciated by all close-in fielders, who ran to congratulate him. With a heavy season ahead, Sri Lanka will take heart with the form Karunaratne has shown. He batted for over six hours and faced 307 deliveries for his well compiled 141 and hit 16 oundaries.

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Once the resistance from Karunaratne ended, Sri Lanka folded away meekly. Two overs after Karunaratne departed, Angelo Mathews, the last man capable of taking Sri Lanka out of trouble was dismissed when he was caught behind by the wicketkeeper to give Jadeja another wicket.

Sri Lanka lost six wickets between lunch and tea for the addition of 82 runs much like they lost eight wickets before lunch in the first innings. The second innings collapse wasn’t without drama as Sri Lanka sent Dilruwan Perera ahead of Dhananjaya de Silva. Playing as a specialist batsman, De Silva ended up batting at number nine in the second innings.

Ravindra Jadeja was named Man of the Match.