India claim innings victory against Sri Lanka in 1st Test
Spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja drove India to a comprehensive victory against Sri Lanka in the 1st Test in Mohali. India claimed an innings victory inside three days after enforcing the follow-on on Day 3. Jadeja shattered quite a few records in what was Virat Kohli's 100th Test. The 33-year-old, along with Ashwin ran through SL's batting line-up in the second innings.
India scored a mammoth 574-8d in the first innings. Jadeja played his career-best knock, having smashed a record-breaking 175*. However, he was devoid of his maiden double-century as Rohit Sharma made an early declaration. SL were bundled out for 174, with Jadeja taking a five-for. The visitors managed 178 after India enforced a follow-on. Jadeja and Ashwin shone in the second innings too.
Jadeja registered his career-best score in Test cricket. He remained unbeaten on 175 off 228 balls (17 fours and 3 sixes). The Indian all-rounder now holds the record for smashing the highest Test score by an Indian batter at number seven or lower. Earlier, the record was held by Kapil Dev (163 vs Sri Lanka in Kanpur, 1986).
Jadeja has become the seventh player in Test history with over 200 wickets and a score of 175 or more with the bat. Gary Sobers, Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Ian Botham, and Jason Gillespie are the others.
After scoring 175*, Jadeja took his 10th Test five-for (sixth player to register a 150+ score and five-wicket haul in a Test). Others are Vinoo Mankad (184 and 5/196 vs England, 1952), Denis Atkinson (219 and 5/56 vs Australia, 1955), Polly Umrigar (172* and 5/107 vs WI, 1962), Gary Sobers (174 and 5/41 vs England, 1966), Mushtaq Mohammad (201 and 5/49 vs NZ, 1973).
Jadeja is the first Indian since 1962 to hit 150 and take a five-for in a Test innings. It was his first Test five-for since taking 5/152 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 2017. Jadeja recorded three such hauls in that year.
Former captain Kohli became the sixth Indian to cross the 8,000-run mark in Test cricket. Kohli is presently the sixth-highest run-scorer for India in the format after Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,288), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122), VVS Laxman (8,781), and Virender Sehwag (8,586). Kohli looked solid in the first innings. He scored 45 before falling to SL spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
Rohit featured in his first Test as India's full-time captain. He has become the second-oldest Test captain (34 years 308 days) for India in the last 60 years after Anil Kumble (37 years 36 days). Kohli has become the second batter to score his 8,000th run in his 100th Test match after Ricky Ponting. It was Kohli's 169th innings in Test cricket.
By dismissing Dhananjaya de Silva in the first innings, Ashwin surpassed the legendary Richard Hadlee (431) in terms of Test wickets. A day later, Ashwin eclipsed former Indian captain Kapil Dev (434) on the tally. Ashwin is now India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He is only behind legend Anil Kumble among Indians. Overall, Ashwin has the ninth-most wickets in the format.
India extend their unbeaten run at home in Test cricket. They last lost a home Test in February 2021 (to England). India have won five (beat England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka) and drawn one Test ever since. It is interesting to note that India have lost only two Tests since December 2012. Before 2021, India lost to Australia in February 2017.
India have scored 300+ runs (while batting first on Day 1 against Sri Lanka) in four of the last five Tests - 385/6 (Ahmedabad, 2009), 417/2 (Kanpur, 2009), 17/3 (Kolkata, 2017), 371/4 (Delhi, 2017), 574/8 (Mohali, 2022). Angelo Mathews has become the fourth Sri Lankan batter to complete 1,000 runs against India in Test cricket. He now has 1,007 runs against them at 35.96.
