India v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Mumbai, 5th day
India go top with thumping victory
India go top with thumping victory
December 6, 2009
India 726 for 9 dec (Sehwag 293, Dhoni 100*, Vijay 87, Dravid 74, Laxman 62, Tendulkar 52) beat Sri Lanka 393 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 99, Harbhajan 4-112) and 309 (Sangakkara 137, Paranavitana 54, Zaheer 5-72) by an innings and 24 runs
India went to No. 1 for the first time
Sri Lanka may have thwarted India through the fourth day, but Zaheer Khan sliced through the remaining four wickets to take India to a 2-0 series win and the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings. Zaheer started with a ripper in the first over to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara and finished his best performance of the series with his eighth five-wicket haul. This was the fourth time in the last four years that India had won two matches in a row; two of those braces came against Sri Lanka.
In comparison with day four, the end came swift. Sangakkara was yet to get his eye in again when Zaheer bowled the perfect left-armer's outswinger that took the edge. After that it was all a matter of time: both Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara succumbed to sharp short deliveries from Zaheer. Muttiah Muralitharan scored a quick 14 but edged Harbhajan Singh to MS Dhoni to kick off India's celebrations.
India 726 for 9 dec (Sehwag 293, Dhoni 100*, Vijay 87, Dravid 74, Laxman 62, Tendulkar 52) beat Sri Lanka 393 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 99, Harbhajan 4-112) and 309 (Sangakkara 137, Paranavitana 54, Zaheer 5-72) by an innings and 24 runs
India went to No. 1 for the first time
Sri Lanka may have thwarted India through the fourth day, but Zaheer Khan sliced through the remaining four wickets to take India to a 2-0 series win and the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings. Zaheer started with a ripper in the first over to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara and finished his best performance of the series with his eighth five-wicket haul. This was the fourth time in the last four years that India had won two matches in a row; two of those braces came against Sri Lanka.
In comparison with day four, the end came swift. Sangakkara was yet to get his eye in again when Zaheer bowled the perfect left-armer's outswinger that took the edge. After that it was all a matter of time: both Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara succumbed to sharp short deliveries from Zaheer. Muttiah Muralitharan scored a quick 14 but edged Harbhajan Singh to MS Dhoni to kick off India's celebrations.