India captain Rohit Sharma was delighted to seal a relatively comfortable win in his first test as captain but admitted the timing of the first inning declaration against Sri Lanka made him think. India hammered Sri Lanka through innings and 222 runs in just 3 days in Mohali on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.
India declared 574/8 before Tea on Day 2, with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on 175 after a 103 run stand with Mohammed Shami for the 9th wicket. Some eyebrows were raised as India explained that Jadeja was just 25 runs away from his first double hundred in Test cricket as there was ample time to press the ball on the Sri Lankans.
India vs Sri Lanka, Test 1 Day 3: Highlights
Victorious captain Rohit Sharma explained the decision, saying it was Ravindra Jadeja’s decision to finish the innings and send Sri Lanka batting in Saturday’s final session in Mohali.
“The highlight of the game was Jadeja. It was a question of whether to declare or not, it was the team’s decision, Jadeja’s decision to field them and shows how selfless he is,” said Rohit, praising the all-around performance by Jadeja.
Notably, Jadeja himself clarified on Saturday that he had proposed an explanation to team management, adding that he wanted the bowlers to take advantage of the variable bounce on the field at IS Bindra Stadium and put pressure on the Sri Lankan batters on Day 2 exercise
India managed to take 4 wickets in the final session on Day 2 before taking 16 wickets to beat Sri Lanka twice in 4 sessions and claim a stunning innings win.
Jadeja made it an outing to remember as he hit 175 not out and won 9 wickets. He was only the 6th cricketer and the first Indian in 60 years to score over 150 and a 5-wicket haul.
Jadeja’s 5-wicket draw on Day 2 helped India beat Sri Lanka by 174 points in the first innings and force a run. Jadeja returned to take 4 more wickets alongside R Ashwin, who passed Kapil Dev on the list of all-time wicket-takers.
“DID NOT EXPECT THE TEST TO BE OVER IN 3 DAYS”
Meanwhile, Rohit said he doesn’t expect the game to be over in three days and praised the all-around performance of the team that showed their strength in Mohali.
“It was a good start. From our point of view it was a great cricket game. We ticked all the boxes we wanted in three days,” he said.
It was a good place to hit, there were some turns and also some help for the sailors. Kudos to the boys, they bowled very well in tandem, kept the pressure and never made it easier for the Sri Lankan batsmen. We just made sure to put pressure on both sides. Good signs for India Cricket,” he added.
