Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round show in which he scored 175* and took a five-wicket haul in the first innings and four wickets in the second innings, to get a combination of nine wickets for just 87 runs has won India the first match of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh.
With this win, Rohit Sharma’s first as a Test captain, India have taken an unassailable lead in the series and would look to win the series 2-0 by winning the Day-Night Test in Bengaluru, starting on March 12, 2022. Thanks to this win, India close in on the fourth position on the World Test Championship Points table as well as Sri Lanka move down to the 3rd position.
Coming in to bat on Day 3, Sri Lanka were 108-4 with Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalnka at the crease, the Sri Lankans showed some resolve with the pairing adding 53 runs in the morning session before the freefall began. After losing the fifth wicket on 161, the Sri Lankan team was rolled over for 174. Jadeja took five wickets.
In the second innings, after they were asked to follow on, Sri Lanka again lost three quick wickets and they were reduced to 45-3 before Dahananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews added 49 for the fourth wicket. But a false shot resulted in the dismissal of de Silva and then once again wickets fell in a lurry and Sri Lanka were once again reduced to 121-7 before Niroshan Dickwell played a nice inning of 51* to take Sri Lanka to 178.
India eventually won the match by an innings and 222 runs. Jadeja took four wickets once again.
Meanwhile, Ashwin dismissed Charith Asalanka for his third wicket of the second innings and also his 435th Test wicket. Also, he is second in the list of highest Indian wicket-takers and is only behind Anil Kumble’s tally of 619 dismissals.
Jadeja became the third Indian cricketer to score 150 or more runs and pick a five-for in a single Test. Vinoo Mankad was the first ever cricketer to the elusive double with his knock of 184 and bowling figures of 5 for 196 against England in 1952. 10 years later, Polly Umrigar joined the elite list with his 172* and 5 for 107 against West Indies. Others on the list includes Denis Atkinson (219 & 5/56 – vs Australia in 1955), Gary Sobers (174 & 5/41 – vs England in 1966) and Mushtaq Mohammad (201 & 5/49 – vs New Zealand in 1973).
Jadeja also became the second cricketer after the legendary Sobers to achieve this magnificent double in the first innings of a Test match.
Earlier on Day 2, Jadeja had broken India’s great Kapil Dev’s 1986 record for scoring the most runs in a Test innings at No.7 for India.
Jadeja’s Test double came two days after world cricket lost Australia legend Shane Warne, who had played an influential role in the early days of his career.
