IND vs SL 2022: 3 observations from 2nd Test as India smash Sri Lanka by 238 runs
There was grit and resilience shown by Sri Lanka but, despite their captain Dimuth Karunaratne's superb 14th century, a dominant and relentless India powered to a 238-run win in the 2nd Test in Bengaluru. Chasing 447, Sri Lanka were knocked over for 208 on the third day of the final Test. The only bright spots in the innings were Dimuth Karunaratne's fighting 107 and Kusal Mendis' 54.
Such was India's dominance that this series lasted six days and Sri Lanka's 208 all out in their final innings was their best effort across all four innings.
That's that from the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
#TeamIndia win the 2nd Test by 238 runs and win the series 2-0.
@Paytm #INDvSL https://t.co/k6PkVWcH09
Here we take a look at 3 observations from the 2nd India vs Sri Lanka Test match:
3.) R Ashwin finds his range
After a slightly slow start to his second innings spell, R Ashwin got down to business on the third day in Bengaluru. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis looked positive and did not shy away from playing their strokes. Their bright and breezy start brought some positivity to the proceedings.
However, this was when R Ashwin got his pace, control, and drift spot-on as he lured Kusal Mendis who was forced to skip down the track, was beaten by the drift and stumped. Ashwin found his range and he ran through the rest of the middle order to finish with four wickets. In the process, he also went past Dale Steyn's tally of 439 wickets.
"Whatever shots they were playing were coming off. It was a question of bowling at the right pace. I also came around the wicket and it doesn't always come off but this time it did," Ashwin said at the end of the day's play.
BCCI
Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers for India in the fourth innings 🙌
📷 BCCI
#India #SriLanka #INDvSL https://t.co/884hPmVGIG
2.) Dimuth Karunaratne's sterling innings
The odds were stacked against Dimuth Karunaratne and his side and the captain responded with a superb knock. While wickets kept tumbling at the other end, the skipper played with tremendous control to notch up his century.
He scored his ton in 165 balls and this included fourteen fours and, in the process, he became only the third Sri Lankan captain to score a century in India.
"I would have been happier if we had won the match. Once I got in, I knew I could get a big one. As a team, we know we are a decent team. We didn't get enough good starts to capitalize," he said at the end of the match.
on a difficult pitch! This is his 14th in Test Cricket.
What.A.Knock 👏
Brilliant from Dimuth Karunaratne to bring up his 💯 on a difficult pitch! This is his 14th in Test Cricket.
#INDvSL https://t.co/mH2wZBOYov
1.) Rishabh Pant's wicket-keeping masterclass
Rishabh Pant put on a stellar display behind the stumps. While his batting has been game-changing over the last 15 months, his keeping on Indian tracks, especially against the spinners, has been top notch.
He has made significant tweaks to his technique, staying low and following the trajectory of the ball perfectly. When the ball bounced, his gloves grasped it with a lot of conviction. He affected a couple of stumps in the second innings and both these dismissals were top-notch.
Pant was adjudged Man of the Series, a just reward for his superb all-round effort. "As a cricketer you want to evolve. In the past, I have made a few mistakes, but I want to keep improving," he said at the post-match press conference.