India continues to stay undefeated at home after securing a 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka in a two-Test series. They won the first Test by 222 runs and produced an even better result on the third day of the second Test with a 238-run victory. India’s Shreyas Iyer won Man of the Match after making 92 and 67 in the two innings.
Sri Lanka’s skipper, Dimuth Karunaratne, produced a stunning 107 from 173 balls, but that was not enough to help his side bring the series to a draw. Kusal Mendis’s half century did not also make any difference for his side, as they went home with nothing. Individually, the tourists had some fine plays that would have been worth something, if they were collectively almost on the same level. Angelo Matthews, who was Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the first innings was hardly in action in the second.
Speaking after the match ceremony skipper Karunaratne said, “I would have been happier if we had won the match. Once I got in, I knew I could get a big one. We know we are a decent team. We didn’t get enough good starts to capitalise. As a bowling unit, we gave too many loose balls.” Good plays do not matter much if you fail to win the match.
India was greatly helped by Iyer’s half centuries and Jasprit Bumrah, who helped dismiss Karunaratne, and Suranga Lakmal, who was playing his final Test.
India has now extended their lead of Tests played at home to 15 straight wins, and they show no sign of stopping. Sri Lanka could have put a dent in their record if they were better coordinated and given it their all. The second innings was a bit underwhelming on the Sri Lankan side, besides Karunaratne’s century.
Written by: Leon Osamor
