India decimate Sri Lanka in Mohali

Ravindra Jadeja stood tall with his all-round brilliance as he complemented his unbeaten 175 with nine wickets in India's innings and 222-run win against a Sri Lankan team that looked anything but Test class in a match that ended inside three days.

After being bowled out for 174 in the first innings, Sri Lanka, who lost 16 wickets on the day, were dismissed for 178 in their second essay. In the first innings, they were one short of Jadeja's individual score and in the second they were three more, which speaks about their plight.

ndia lead the two-match series 1-0, and will like to gain full 24 points from the rubber by winning the Pink Ball Test in Bengaluru, starting March 12. The match as a contest was over on the first day when India scored 357 and then piled on Sri Lanka's misery with Jadeja toying with a depleted bowling attack.

Sri Lanka's Lasith Embuldeniya ducks to avoid a bouncer from India's Mohammed Shami during the third day of the first test match between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali. (AP Photo)

It is after 60 years that an Indian has scored 150 runs and taken five wickets in an innings. Vinoo Mankad, in 1952 against England at Lord's, and Polly Umrigarh in 1962 versus West Indies at Delhi, are the other owners of this rare feat.

A cricket fan holds a placard to pay tribute to the Australian cricketer Shane Warne on the third day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali. (AP Photo)

If that wasn't enough, India got as many as 16 wickets on the third day to wrap up the match with a cumulative bowling effort of 125 overs across two innings. Jadeja (175 not out, 5/41 and 4/46) made the match his own while Ravichandran Ashwin (4/47 in 21 overs) also had a satisfying run, replacing Kapil Dev (434 in 131 games) as India's second highest wicket-taker with 436 victims. He is now only behind Anil Kumble's 619 scalps. One of the contemporary greats, Ashwin achieved the feat in his 85th Test match compared to Kapil's 131 games.

While the generations and the conditions between the times of Kapil and Ashwin can't be compared and more so because they possessed different skill-sets but, based on pure numbers, the Tamil Nadu man's achievement is phenomenal. Such was the regularity of getting wickets that there was hardly any cause for celebrations and excitement as it seemed a foregone conclusion.

There was no stomach for a fight by this Sri Lankan team and some of the players, like old guard Angelo Mathews and the controversial Niroshan Dickwella (first innings dismissal), seemed primarily disinterested during their stay at the crease.