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Galle Test: India beat Sri Lanka by 304 runs to take 1-0 lead

By the emphatic victory, India took 1-0 lead over the Islanders in the three-Test series.

Galle Test: India beat Sri Lanka by 304 runs to take 1-0 lead

Virat Kohli (R) celebrates after dismissing Sri Lankan batsman Angelo Mathews (L) (Photo: AFP)

India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets each to help the visitors trounce hosts Sri Lanka by 304 runs in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday.

By the emphatic victory, India took 1-0 lead over the Islanders in the three-Test series.

Jadeja and Ashwin led India’s bowling attack, while pacers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav chipped in with a wicket each.

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After fighting hard en route 550-run chase, Sri Lanka had to accept defeat when India wrapped them up for 245 runs in 76.5 overs.

Earlier, the fifth-wicket partnership pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella kept Sri Lanka’s hope alive for a long while.

Opener Karunaratne scored 97 runs off 208 balls, missing his sixth Test century by three runs. He slammed nine boundaries in his measured knock amid tough times.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dickwella too stood tall for a while and struck his fourth Test half-century. With 10 boundaries, he scored 67 runs off 94 balls.

Indians, who gave the Lankans a target of 550 runs, capitalised on the big first-innings score of 600. In the second innings, the visitors declared their innings at 240/3. Captain Virat Kohli contributed 103 (not out).

Sri Lanka faltered in the start and lost two key wickets within the first six overs of their second innings. Upul Tharanga (10) and Danushka Gunathilaka (2) lost their wickets cheaply to Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, respectively.

Later on, spinner Ravindra Jadeja came in action and deceived Kusal Mendis (36) and Angelo Mathews (2) to send them back to the pavilion. Lahiru Kumara was Jadeja's third victim, who dismissed him for a duck.

Ashwin struck late but the right chords as he took three important wickets in the shape of Karunaratne, Dickwella and Nuwan Pradeep (0).

In the end, opener Shikhar Dhawan was bestowed with the Man of the Match award for his 190-run knock. Besides him, Cheteshwar Pujara also made majestic 153 runs to help India reach a mammoth total of 600 runs while batting first in the opening Test.

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