Ravichandran Ashwin
celebrates with his teammates after taking the catch to dismiss Sri
Lanka''s Lahiru Thirimanne (not pictured) during the final day of their
third and final test cricket match in Colombo on Tuesday. —Reuters
Colombo, September 1
India clinched their first Test
series victory on Sri Lankan soil in 22 years on Tuesday with an emphatic
117-run win over the hosts in the third and final cricket Test despite a
valiant century by rival skipper Angelo Mathews.
After setting a daunting victory
target of 386, India managed to dismiss the Sri Lankans for 268 on a wicket
that slowed down considerably to wrap up the series 2-1, their first overseas
series victory since June 2011 against the West Indies.
It was new captain Virat Kohli's
first series win ever since he took over reins of the team from Mahendra Singh
Dhoni.
On an absorbing final day's play,
the visitors took two quick wickets in the morning session before Mathews (110)
and debutant Kusal Perera (70) scripted a spirited fightback to frustrate the
Indians.
The duo put on a resolute 135-run
partnership for the sixth wicket, the second-highest stand in the fourth
innings in Sri Lanka's Test history. Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis hold the record
of biggest fourth innings partnership with a 214- run stand.
Off-spinner R Ashwin was the pick of
the Indian bowlers with four for 69 while paceman Ishant Sharma scalped three
for 32. Umesh Yadav chipped in with two for 65.
The last time an Indian team won a
series in Sri Lanka was in 1993 under Mohammed Azharuddin's leadership when
they sealed the series with 1-0 scoreline.
The fifth day's action was not
devoid of drama: more on-field altercation marked the high voltage play, with
Kusal Perera being involved in a heated exchange with Indian players.
Ashwin took the last wicket of Nuwan
Pradep to bring about India's moment of glory, triggering scenes of wild
celebrations in the dressing room as the players hugged each other and picked
up the stumps as mementos.
Ashwin
provided the vital breakthrough by breaking the sixth-wicket partnership with
Perera's scalp. The second new ball, taken after tea break, turned the tide
completely in India's favour, with Ishant getting rid of Mathews in the very
first over. — PTI
