Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared six wickets to help India to a thumping 304-run win over Sri Lanka on Saturday's fourth day of the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The hosts, chasing 550 runs for victory, only managed 245 before their second innings folded in the final session, after opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne had been dismissed for 97.
Asela Gunaratne, who had fractured his thumb and was ruled out of the series, and stand-in captain Rangana Herath, who suffered a hand injury on Friday, did not bat for Sri Lanka in the second innings.
"(I'm) Really happy with the way things went in this particular game," Indian captain Virat Kohli said at the presentation. "All bases were covered nicely and the guys stood up when it was needed most.
"The surface didn't offer much. That's why the win is more special because the bowlers had to work hard."
India, the top-ranked Test side, declared their second innings at 3-240 after Kohli had completed his 17th Test hundred.
The right-hander, who resumed the day on 76, remained unbeaten on 103.
Sri Lanka needed a solid opening stand but their hopes were dashed when Mohammed Shami bowled Upul Tharanga for 10, a relief for Kohli who had dropped the batsman at second slip in the same over.
Debutant Danushka Gunathilaka was out for two, hitting Umesh Yadav straight to Cheteshwar Pujara at square leg.
Sri Lanka were 2-29 and needed a solid 79-run stand between Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis to stem the tide.
India came back strongly after lunch with two quick wickets from Jadeja, ranked world No.1 bowler in the five-day format.
Mendis, who made 36, was given not out on a caught-behind appeal but India successfully challenged the umpire's decision. Former captain Angelo Mathews fell soon afterwards, mishitting Jadeja to be caught by Hardik Pandya.
Mathews' dismissal brought Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella together in a 101-run fifth-wicket stand. Dickwella was caught by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha to become Ashwin's first victim of the innings.
Karunaratne dragged the offspinner, playing his 50th Test, back onto his stumps attempting a sweep shot and fell just short of his sixth Test hundred.
Ashwin, with 3-65, dismissed Nuwan Pradeep without scoring before Jadeja (3-71) wrapped it up when Lahiru Kumara skied an attempted slog to become the last man out.
"All credit goes to the India team," Herath said. "We need to improve ourselves in all three departments."
The second Test will be played from Thursday in Colombo.
Share
