India has beaten Sri Lanka in the second test of the series by an innings and 53 runs. This win gives India another series win making this eight straight series victories. The Indians secured the win minutes before tea on the last day of the test match.
Match Summary
The game started with Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, winning the toss and electing to bat. The batting side got off to a good start with the team racing to the first 50 in under ten overs.
The Sri Lankans fought back by dismissing India's top 3 batsmen putting the score at 133 for 3. This was followed by a superb partnership by two of India's most experienced batsman, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara. Both players made centuries, and this ensured that India would get a good first innings score.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, started their innings in the worst possible manner with the team losing their first wicket before a single run had been scored. This trend continued as the host nation failed to put up a fight with the bat, being bowled out for less than 200. This allowed the Indian's to enforce the follow-on, meaning that Sri Lanka would have to bat again.
The Sri Lankan second innings didn't start well either as the home team lost an early wicket. This early wicket was followed by a terrific partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis which gave the Sri Lankans some hope. Unfortunately, this would not be enough for the host nation as Jadeja and Ashwin bowled superbly together to ensure that India would win the test match.
Key Performers for India
In such a good win, the team was filled with many good performances. With the bat, Rahane and Pujara were the stand out players. These two set up the game for India and ensured that the Sri Lankans would have no hope of winning this test match. As far as the bowlers were concerned, Jadaja and Ashwin were once again the stand out performers with both players picking up five wickets hauls.
It is also important to note Virat Kohli's contribution. While the Indian captain failed with the bat, he made some terrific decisions as the team captain who led the team to victory.
Key Performers for Sri Lanka
In such as huge loss, it's hard to find some good performances, but Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis both played exceptionally in the second innings. Both players got centuries, and this showed the talent that is present in Sri Lankan cricket. The host nation has one more chance to beat India, but they will need to perform much better than they did in this match if they are to do so.