India number one Test team in the world
India climbed to the top of the ICC Test rankings and won the series 2-0 when they beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third Test on the fifth day of the match at the historic Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on December 6.
Needing to make 334 to make India bat again, the visitors were all out for 309 with Zaheer Khan bowling superbly to finish with 5 for 72, his eighth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Kumar Sangakkara played a captain’s innings of 137, his 21st century and the first against India, but he found little support from others except for Paranavithana who made 54.
Earlier, in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 393, India piled up their highest-ever Test score of 726 for 9 declared. It was an unbelievable innings of 287 by Virender Sehwag that overshadowed everything else. Records fell by the wayside as he went on to toy with the Sri Lankan bowling needing just 254 balls to score his runs. It was his sixth double century, the highest by any Indian. In the process, he completed his 6,000 runs in Test cricket also.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni got his third Test hundred and remained not out on 100. Other useful contributors were Murali Vijay (87), Rahul Dravid (74), VVS Laxman (62) and Sachin Tendulkar (53). There were two double century stands in the Indian innings – 221 for the first wicket between Sehwag and Vijay, and 237 for the second wicket between Sehwag and Dravid. Muttiah Muralitharan conceded 195 for his four wickets while Rangana Herath took 3 for 240.
In Sri Lanka’s first innings, Tilakaratne Dilshan (109) scored his 11th Test century before getting a harsh decision from the umpire. Angelo Matthews was unlucky to miss his maiden Test ton as he was dismissed for 99. Paramavithana made 53. Harbhajan Singh (4/112) and Pragyan Ojha (3/101) were the most successful Indian bowlers.
Sehwag was named both Man of the Match and Man of the Series.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 393 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 99, Paranavithana 53; Harbhajan 4/112, Ojha 3/104) and 309 (Sangakkara 137, Paranavithana 54; Zaheer 5/72). India won by an innings and 24 runs.
