Il Nuovo Postiglione - Jadeja's allround heroics help India crush Sri Lanka

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Jadeja's allround heroics help India crush Sri Lanka

SPORTS 06.03.2022

Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja starred with bat and bowl to lead India to a crushing innings and 222-run victory over Sri Lanka inside three days of the first Test on Sunday.

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In Virat Kohli's 100th Test and Rohit Sharma's first as captain, Jadeja hit an unbeaten 175 in India's 574-8 declared and then claimed a match tally of nine wickets with his left-arm spin in Mohali.

The hosts dismissed Sri Lanka for 178 while following on in the final session to lead the two-match series 1-0.

Niroshan Dickwella stood unbeaten on 51 when Ravichandran Ashwin got the final wicket of number 11 Lahiru Kumara, who was struggling with his hamstring injury, triggering wild celebrations.

Jadeja returned figures of 5-41 to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 174 in their first innings after the tourists resumed the day on 108-4.

Ashwin, who now has 436 scalps in 85 Tests, took four wickets in Sri Lanka's second innings and surpassed pace bowling great Kapil Dev's tally of 434 scalps.

He sent back Charith Asalanka for 20 with his off spin to become India's second highest wicket-taker behind spin legend Anil Kumble who finished his career with 619 Test scalps.

Ashwin rattled the top-order with two wickets on either side of the lunch break as he sent back Lahiru Thirimanne for nought and Pathum Nissanka caught behind for six.

Pace bowler Mohammed Shami was rewarded for his consistency as he got skipper Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind for 27.

Angelo Mathews (28) and Dhananjaya de Silva (30) then put on 49 runs in their attempt to resist the team's quick fall before Jadeja broke the stand.

The island nation's batting fell flat against an inspired Indian bowling.

Earlier in Sri Lanka's first innings Pathum Nissanka top-scored with an unbeaten 61 and with his overnight partner Asalanka to put up some resistance in the first hour of play.

Nissanka hung on but wickets kept tumbling and Jadeja took two wickets in one over twice to pack off the opposition batting in the first session.

Jadeja recorded a Test best in his second century of his career and put on marathon partnerships including a 130-run seventh-wicket stand with Ashwin to deflate the opposition.

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant took the attack to the Sri Lanka bowlers on day one with his quickfire 96.

Kohli made 45 in his landmark game and put on a key stand of 90 with Hanuma Vihari who made 58.

The second match -- a day-night affair -- begins March 12 in Bangalore.

A.Rastelli--INP