Cricket: Jadeja powers India to innings win over Lanka – Gulf Digital News

Cricket: Jadeja powers India to innings win over Lanka – Gulf Digital News

MOHALI, India: Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliance with bat and ball powered India to a victory by an innings and 222 runs over Sri Lanka inside three days of the opening Test at Mohali yesterday.

After a swashbuckling unbeaten 175 in India’s massive total of 574-8 declared, Jadeja tied Sri Lanka’s batters in a knot with his left-arm spin to pick up a match haul of nine wickets.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin provided able support by taking six to boost his tally to 436 wickets in Tests, climbing past former India all-rounder Kapil Dev to second spot in the list of the country’s most successful bowlers in the format.

The duo also shared a stand of 130 in a very useful contribution with the bat.

“A near-perfect game for us as a team,” Rohit Sharma, who was was named Test captain after Virat Kohli stepped down, told reporters. “We bowled well, we batted well. We took our chances as well on the field, except maybe one or two here and there.”

India will take a 1-0 lead to the second and final match in Bengaluru, to be played under lights from Saturday, brimming with confidence that they can extend their winning streak at home to 15 series.