Colombo: India won the historic Test series by beating Sri Lanka in 117 runs in the third test at the SSC in Colombo. This is the first series win for India in Sri Lanka in the last 22 years (since June 2011).
The young and fresh Virat Kohli-led Indian team set a target of 386 to win. Sri Lanka, despite a century by skipper Angelo Mathews, were bowled out for 268, with R Ashwin again leading the attack with four wickets. That took his tally in the three-test series to a staggering 21 wickets. Sri Lankans were bowled out for 268.
Ishant was the other notable contributor with the ball taking 3 for 32, with his last wicket also bringing up the landmark of 200 Test wickets. He took 13 wickets in the series.
The series win was also India’s first win away from home in four years. The historic victory also coincided with Virat Kohli’s first series victory as India’s captain.
Sri Lanka gave India a scare through the sixth-wicket stand of 135 between Mathews (110) and Kusal Perera (70). But India didn’t lose heart and kept at the job to eventually break the stand through Ashwin who removed the latter just before tea.
Mathews settled in to strike seven boundaries and remained the main hurdle in India’s bid to win their first Test series in Sri Lanka since 1993.
Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Galle by 63 runs, but India drew level with a 278-run win in the second match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo.
