Reuters
Colombo, Sept 1: Angelo Mathews’ batting heroics went in vain as India beat Sri Lanka by 117 runs in the final test to win the three-match series
2-1 Tuesday. This was India’s first Test series victory in the Emerald Island since 1993.
Having set Sri Lanka a 386-run victory target in the bowler-dominated contest, India needed seven wickets on the final day to gift Virat Kohli his first series victory since becoming the test captain.
Mathews (110, 240b, 13×4) and Kusal Perera (70, 106b, 11×4), however, were in no mood to oblige and they refused to throw in the towel at the SSC.
The duo resisted India’s victory push for 38 overs before wheels came off the Sri Lankan innings towards the end of the second session.
Perera succumbed to a rush of blood just before tea and Ishant Sharma, armed with the second new ball, dismissed Mathews in the first over after the break as the hosts eventually folded for 268.
Resuming on 67 for three, Sri Lanka lost two wickets in the morning session before the 135-run stand between Mathews and Perera not only halted India’s victory bid but also rekindled faint home hopes of a miraculous win.
Mathews brought up his seventh Test century in 217 balls, while Perera shone in his debut test as well, complimenting his first innings half-century with an aggressive 70.
The stumper-batsman, however, threw away his wicket, reverse sweeping Ravichandran Ashwin (4/69) to Rohit Sharma at point.
Ishant (3/32) then ended all home hopes by trapping Mathews leg before for his 200th test wicket.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who struck an unbeaten 145 in the makeshift opener’s role for India, was adjudged man-of-the-match in the low-scoring contest, while Ashwin’s 21 wickets earned him the man-of-the-series award.