(MENAFN- Arab Times) Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin caused a dramatic Sri Lanka collapse as India completed a crushing 278- run victory in the second Test in Colombo on Monday to level the three-match series. Ashwin grabbed five for 42 as Sri Lanka, set an improbable victory target of 413 runs, were shot out for 134 in their second innings soon after lunch on the fifth day at the P. Sara Oval. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra chipped in with three wickets as the hosts lost their last eight batsmen for 62 runs after resuming at 72-2, giving Virat Kohli his first win as captain in his fifth Test as leader. A brief spell of heavy rain forced an early lunch with nine wickets down, but the weather cleared for India to finish the match in the second over after the resumption. The defeat denied retiring Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara a fairytale farewell in his last international match. The left-hander was dismissed for 18 on Sunday.
India's emphatic win set the stage for an intriguing finale to the series when the third and final Test starts at the Sinhalese sports club in the Sri Lankan capital on Friday. Kohli said he was delighted at his first win as captain after coming close twice against Australia in Adelaide and against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the current series. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne played a lone hand for the hosts with 46, but six batsmen failed to reach double figures as Sri Lanka were bowled out in 43.4 overs. Ashwin finished with a match-haul of seven wickets to add to the 10 he took in the first Test in Galle where Sri Lanka fought back from the brink to win by 63 runs.
Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews said he was disappointed not to secure a win in Sangakkara's final match. Sri Lanka never recovered after they lost Mathews off the first ball of the day, edging fast bowler Umesh Yadav to stand-in wicketkeeper Lokesh Rahul, who dived to his right to hold a low catch. First Test hero Dinesh Chandimal began by hooking seamer Ishant Sharma for a six, before he was bowled round his legs by Mishra for 15 to reduce the hosts to 91-4. It soon became 111-6 as India grabbed two more wickets in the space of five deliveries. Karunaratne was bowled by Ashwin before lunch and Mishra sealed the win by trapping both Tharindu Kaushal and Dushmantha Chameera leg-before on either side of the break.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara bid a tearful farewell to international cricket on Monday and was immediately offered the post of the island's top envoy in Britain where he plays county cricket. Several thousand cheering fans, many of them school children waving Sri Lankan flags, along with VIPs, turned out to farewell Sangakkara on the final day of the second Test between his team and India in Colombo. "You have been a great honour to Sri Lanka," Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said in a televised ceremony at P. Sara Oval for the formidable cricketer after the match. Sangakkara, who turns out for Surrey in English county cricket, did not directly address Sirisena's announcement on the diplomatic post, later telling reporters he had been unprepared for the gesture. "It was a surprise, I have to go and think about it and discuss with his excellency (the president)" Sangakkara said.
India vs Sri Lanka Scoreboard
COLOMBO, Aug 24, (AFP): Final scoreboard on the fifth day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday:
INDIA 1st innings: 393 (L. Rahul 108, V. Kohli 78, R. Sharma 79, W. Saha 56, D. Prasad 2-84, A. Mathews 2-24, D. Chameera 2-72, R. Herath 4-81)
SRI LANKA 1st innings: 306 (K. Silva 51, L. Thirimanne 62, A. Mathews 102, A. Mishra 4-43)
INDIA 2nd innings: 325-8 declared (M. Vijay 82, A. Rahane 126, D. Prasad 4-43, T. Kaushal 4-118)
SRI LANKA 2nd innings (72-2):
K. Silva c Binny b Ashwin """"""".1
D. Karunaratne b Ashwin"""""""46
K. Sangakkara c Vijay b Ashwin """.18
A. Mathews c Rahul b Yadav"""""23
D. Chandimal b Mishra """"""""15
L. Thirimanne c sub (Pujara) b Ashwin 11
J. Mubarak c Kohli b I. Sharma """".0
D. Prasad c Mishra b Ashwin"""""..0
R. Herath not out """""""""""..4
T. Kaushal lbw b Mishra"""""""".5
D. Chameera lbw b Mishra """"""..4
Extras: (lb4, w1, nb2) 7
Total (all out, 43.4 overs) 134
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Silva), 2-33 (Sangakkara), 3-72 (Mathews), 4-91 (Chandimal), 5-106 (Thirimanne), 6-111 (Mubarak), 7-114 (Prasad), 8-123 (Karunaratne), 9-128 (Kaushal), 10-134 (Chameera).
Bowling: Ashwin 16-6-42-5, Yadav 7-1-18-1, I. Sharma 11-2-41-1 (nb2, w1), Mishra 9.4-3-29-3
India won by 278 runs, level three match series 1-1.
Toss: India
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) and Rod Tucker (AUS)
TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
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