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India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Day 5 - As it happened...
Resuming at 31/3, Lanka lost only two wickets on the final day against a famed bowling attack, showing true grit to save the match.
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Kohli took home both the man of the series and man of the awards. He started the series with a duck and 104* in Kolkata, then scored 213 in Nagpur, which was followed by 243 and 50 in Delhi. His batting show was unrivaled, but even better was his leadership.
He now has led India to nine consecutive Test series wins, same as England (1884-1892) and Australia (2005-2008). Since taking over as full-time captaincy in 2015, Kohli has lost just two of 27 Tests – a 63-run defeat to Sri Lanka in his first match and a 333-run loss to Australia in Pune earlier this year.
Indian bowlers flirted with greatness, then settled with mediocrity in Delhi as Sri Lankan middle order produced gritty stands of 112, 58* and 94* for the fifth, sixth and seventh wickets respectively to deny back-to-back wins.
The departure of injured Dhananjaya de Silva did provide India a window of opportunity but bowlers failed to take it. And Lankans deservedly shared the spoils in Delhi, where they have endured the worst of pollution.
Virat Kohli, who continued he raise the bar, is the hero of the series. He scored back-to-back double hundreds and in the process installed himself as one of the greatest captains. Yes, he is already a batting great.
A Kohli-less India will continue the Sri Lanka series in the limited overs cricket, with the first of three ODIs on December 10 in Dharamsala.
Over 103 || Score 299/5 (Roshen Silva 74; Niroshan Dickwella 44)
Huge result for Sri Lanka, and disappointment for India. A draw, with Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella stitching an unbeaten 94-run stand for the sixth-wicket.
India managed just a couple of wickets on the final day.
But India win the series 1-0, thanks to their record-equalling victory in Nagpur. The rain-marred series opener in Kolkata ended in a thrilling draw.
Over 90 || Score 261/5 (Roshen Silva 53; Niroshan Dickwella 27)
Another crucial partnership helps Sri Lanka in their cause. This match is as good as dead now, with India needing five wickets in 17 overs.
How it stands now:
India will need five wickets in the final session to complete a 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka following Dhananjaya de Silva's gutsy century. Playing his first match in the series, de Silva battled cramps to score 119, a knock studded with 15 boundaries and a six off Ravichandran Ashwin, before retiring hurt before the tea break. Debutant Roshen Silva was 38 not out at the break and Niroshan Dickwella on 11 with Sri Lanka needing to bat out one more session to salvage a draw after the smog-hit test finally saw a largely sunny day.
Over 81 || Score 226/5 (Roshen Silva 38; Niroshan Dickwella 11)
Tea!
New ball taken after the second ball off 81st over, then Ishant Sharma almost gives India the breakthrough. Height 's the issue. No LBW.
A 21-run sixth-wicket stand between Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella continues to frustrate India.
They are still 184 runs away from an unlikely win.
Over 76 || Score 205/5 (Roshen Silva 28; Niroshan Dickwella 0)
Dhananjaya de Silva is walking off. He was clearly struggling. Probably the match-defining moment.
Dhananjaya de Silva retd hurt 119.
After that Murali Vijay over, skipper Virat Kohli also indulges himself with a spin bowling.
Over 75 || Score 205/5 (Dhananjaya de Silva 119; Roshen Silva 27)
Virat Kohli introduces Murali Vijay, who balls right-arm off-break, into the attack in the 75th over as India continue to look to end the Lankan sixth-wicket partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and Roshen Silva.
Meanwhile, the stand is now worth 57 off 120 balls, and Lanka need another 206 runs. In the last ten overs, they have added 41 runs.
Over 65 || Score 163/5 (Dhananjaya de Silva 97; Roshen Silva 9)
One crucial period of play in the match and Sri Lankan batsmen have applied themselves beautifully there. With 41 overs' left in the day's play, it's important for them to dig deep and block as many deliveries as possible.
And that's what they are doing. In the last ten overs, they have added just 16 runs. Dhananjaya de Silva has been in the nineties for a long time. He's been brilliant, and now Roshen Silva has faced 33 deliveries for his nine runs.
They still need 247 runs.
Over 55 || Score 147/5 (Dhananjaya de Silva 90; Roshen Silva 0)
Then, Ravichandran Ashwin removes Dinesh Chandimal. Bowled, And no need to review. Chandimal walks.
Wicket: Chandimal b Ashwin 36(90)
That happened off the last ball off the 55th over. And Roshen Silva is the new man for Sri Lanka. Theys till need another 263 runs.
Over 54 || Score 144/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 88; Dinesh Chandimal 36)
Good, positive start for Sri Lanka after the Lunch. Dhananjaya de Silva hits the first ball, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja, for a four to start the post-lunch session.
Then, he stitched a 100-run stand with skipper Dinesh Chandimal. In the last ten overs, they have added 109 runs from 193 balls. And they now need another 266 runs.
Here's brief report at Lunch:
Ravindra Jadeja endured mixed luck with no-balls as young Dhananjaya De Silva's gutsy half-century enabled Sri Lanka to stay afloat by reaching 119 for 4 at Lunch. He bowled two no-balls – one of which accounted for Angelo Mathews (1) – with umpires missing it altogether. The the second was a brilliant delivery to clean up Dinesh Chandimal but the umpires were more cautious and promptly called him for overstepping.
Sri Lanka now need another 291 runs to reach the target of 410 while India will require six wickets from here on.
De Silva, unbeaten on 72, added 84 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Chandimal (27), on a day when Feroz Shah Kotla was bathed in bright sunshine, cutting through the haze that had forced visiting players to don anti-pollution masks till yesterday.
Over 47 || Score 119/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 71; Dinesh Chandimal 27)
Lunch!
Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal negotiate the last over before the Lunch well. Two runs from it as Ravichandran Ashwin remains wicket-less in the innings.
Silva certainly deserves a hundred today, and for India, Ravindra Jadeja has been brilliant so far. His figures so read: 16-7-25-3.
Lanka still need another 291 runs.
Over 45 || Score 117/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 71; Dinesh Chandimal 26)
Birthday boy Ravindra Jadeja produces a dream ball to clean up Ravindra Jadeja. Then upon review, it returns as a no-ball. Seems like it's a hard call on the bowler. That happened off the fourth ball of the 44th over.
Meanwhile, the fifth-wicket stand for Lanka is now worth 82 runs, off 140 balls. In the last ten overs, Lanka have added another 35 runs, thus reducing the target to 293.
Over 38 || Score 95/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 55; Dinesh Chandimal 21)
One good spell of play for Sri Lanka with Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal stitching an unbroken 60-run stand for the fifth-wicket partnership, and runs coming in good rate too.
In the last ten overs, they have scored 41 runs, but still trail by 312 runs.
In the process, Dhananjaya has scored his third Test fifty. Brilliant effort from the 26-year-old.
Over 27 || Score 49/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 30; Dinesh Chandimal 0)
Indian bowlers are in complete control of the proceedings in Delhi. In the last ten overs, they have conceded only 15 runs, while also taking a wicket – that of Angelo Mathews.
For Lanka though, the arrival of Dinesh Chandimal will hopefully bring some sort of sanity. He played a brilliant knock in the first innings, and with Dhananjaya de Silva, he can hope to save the match.
Over 22 || Score 35/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva 16; Dinesh Chandimal 0)
Ravindra Jadeja strikes. Gets the better of Angelo Mathews, caught at first slip by Ajinkya Rahane. Brilliant catch.
Wicket: Mathews c Rahane b Jadeja 1(20)
That happened off the last ball of the 22nd over, and it ended Mathews trouble stay in the centre.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal is the new man for Lanka, and they still need another 375 runs.
Over 20 || Score 34/3 (Dhananjaya de Silva 16; Angelo Mathews 0)
Earnest start from the Sri Lankans, with a seven-run over – bowled by Ishant Sharma. Then, the Indian bowlers showed discipline. A three-run over, followed by two maidens. That's how first four overs of the day went down.
Sri Lanka still need another 376 runs.
Day 4 Recap
India hurtled towards their ninth successive series victory as they left Sri Lanka precariously placed at 31 for three and staring at another humiliation.
The visiting Lankans were set an improbable victory target of 410 to level the three-match series. It will be a miracle if Sri Lanka manage to make it.
The 16 overs that they batted during the final 85 minutes of the fourth day's play was with an aim to survive rather than play positive cricket.
If the scoreboard is anything to go by, the ploy boomeranged on the visitors, who were again seen wearing anti-pollution masks, the second time in the game.
The pitch has not deteriorated much but it is the straighter deliveries from the spinners that is causing maximum damage.
Mohammed Shami (1/8 in 3 overs), who was unwell after a three-over burst, bowled a hostile spell and accounted for Sadeera Samarawickrama (5).
A barrage of short deliveries unnerved the opener, who was hit on the temple while fielding in India's first innings. Shami played on his psyche with well-disguised bouncers into his body - one such he fended awkwardly and offered a simple catch to Ajinkya Rahane in the slips.
The ever-accurate Ravindra Jadeja (5-2-5-2) had Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind, giving Wriddhiman Saha his fifth catch of the match. The decision to send Suranga Lakmal (0) as nightwatchman backfired as he played on while trying a forward defensive prod.
A draw, fair result. This is the first time in six test matches that Lanka had managed to test India might, stretching to the last session. (SCORECARD || DAY 5 REPORT || DAY 4 STATS)
Sri Lanka 299/5 & 373
India 536/7decl & 246/5 decl
Result: Draw