A stroke-filled 92 from Shreyas Iyer and vital contributions from the other batters first took India to a healthy 252 on a pitch that was tough to negotiate with its turn and variable bounce. 

India’s bowlers then struck at regular intervals to reduce Sri Lanka to 86-6, trailing by 166 runs at the end of the first night. 

Here’s how the opening day went. 

India suffer early wobble 

Captain Hitman and Mayank Agarwal opened the innings for India but the latter fell early. Mayank was struck on his leg and tried to steal a single but was caught out of his crease after a mix-up. 

Ro then tried but Lasith Embuldeniya’s away-turner caught his edge and carried to slip, leaving India at 29-2. 

Hanuma Vihari and Virat Kohli then shared a 47-run partnership, with both of them hitting some fluent boundaries. 

Vihari then edged one from Praveen Jayawickrama behind before Kohli was undone by a ball that kept low from Dhananjaya de Silva. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer took India to tea at 93/4. 

Counter-attacking Shreyas puts Lanka to the sword 

India returned for the second session with a clear intent to attack as the pitch was tricky and it was imperative to score quick runs. 

Pant attacked Embuldeniya and Jayawickramaa to score a 26-ball 39 before being bowled by one that turned in sharply. 

After that, it was the Shreyas Iyer show. The in-form batter was smart with his feet movement, negotiating the turn with some solid defence and putting away anything too short or too full. 

Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin could not hang around much but Shreyas continued undeterred and brought up his second Test fifty with two sixes off de Silva. 

Shreyas continued to deal in boundaries and swiftly moved into the 90s. However, he was beaten by the flight by Jayawickrama while trying to hoick another into the stands and was stumped for a well-made 92.

India had put up 252 on the board, a decent total considering the tough pitch.

Indian bowlers up to the task 

Jasprit Bumrah took the new ball for India and he found a breakthrough in just his second over. An impeccable outswinger caught the edge of Kusal Mendis on the drive, which was safely caught by Shreyas. 

Boom was at it again in his next over, as Lahiru Thirimanne fell victim, again to a catch from Shreyas Iyer. 

Mohammad Shami came into the attack in the fifth over and struck with his first ball, bringing one into Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne, disturbing his stumps. 

Shami soon also got rid of Dhananjaya de Silva to leave Sri Lanka tottering at 28/4. 

Charith Asalanka put on 22 with the veteran Angelo Mathews before the former stepped out to Axar Patel and could only sky a catch to mid-off. 

Mathews hit a few big shots and shared a 35-run stand with Niroshan Dickwella but Boom returned for a short spell before stumps and had him caught by Ro at second slip.

Dickwella and Lasith Embuldeniya saw off the day and India will be looking to skittle the Lankans out for a low score on Day 2.

How much will Sri Lanka score, Paltan?

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It was another day and night of dominance by India as they reduced Sri Lanka to 28/1 in the second innings of the second Test after setting a target of 447.

Rishabh Pant’s record-setting half-century and Shreyas Iyer’s second fifty of the match put the match firmly in India’s grasp.

Here’s how they did it.

India start strong in second innings

The Indian bowlers only took 35 balls to clean out the last four Sri Lankan wickets and gain a lead of 143 runs.

Captain Hitman and Mayank Agarwal scored at four an over before the latter fell. Hanuma Vihari joined his skipper and continued his fluency from the first essay, both in defence and attack.

Ro and Vihari took India to tea at 61/1 and shared a 50-run stand before Rohit holed out to long on, four short of a half-century.

Vihari fell soon after for a solid 35, bringing Rishabh Pant to the crease with Virat Kohli.

Pant’s masterclass in attack

Pant began his innings by walking down the track in his second ball and launching Praveen Jayawickrama for a big six over mid-wicket. His intentions were clear.

He hit Dhananjaya de Silva for a six and a four before Kohli was dismissed. Pant though continued to be ruthless with the Lankan bowlers, bringing up his ninth Test fifty off just 28 balls, the fastest by an Indian man, eclipsing Kapil Dev’s 30-ball effort against Pakistan in 1982.

Pant fell soon after but Shreyas Iyer continued from where he left off in the first innings.

Shreyas shared a 63-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja as the duo patiently knocked the ball around and steadily built India’s lead.

The in-form batter soon scored his second fifty of the Test. Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas were all dismissed within eight overs.

Axar Patel and Mohammad Shami hit a few lusty blows towards the end before the former was bowled by Embuldeniya, with India at 303/9.

Rohit Sharma declared at that point, with India setting a target of 447 for Sri Lanka.

Bumrah strikes early

Jasprit Bumrah took the new ball again for India and struck off just his third ball, bringing one into Lahiru Thirimanne and catching him in front of the wicket.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis then survived a few testing overs and scored some boundaries to help Sri Lanka end the day on 28/1.

The Lankans still have a mountain to climb on Day 3 and India will be aiming to finish this match off soon.

How many runs can Sri Lanka score before India bowls them out, Paltan?

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It took a little while but India won the Test series 2-0 against Sri Lanka after beating them by 238 runs in the second Test at Bengaluru.

All bowlers - except Mohammad Shami - chipped in with wickets on the third day as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 208.

Here’s how the third day panned out.

Karunaratne holds firm

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis - the overnight batters for Sri Lanka - started with positive intent as the duo attacked Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin at will, hitting a few boundaries.

Mendis soon brought up his fifty before Ashwin outfoxed him with a straighter one to have him stumped.

Jadeja soon got one through Angelo Mathews’ defences before Ashwin picked up Dhananjaya de Silva to become the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Test history with his 440th scalp.

Amidst all this, Karunaratne played on and scored his 28th Test half-century and him and Niroshan Dickwella walked into tea with the score at 151/4.

India wrap up the win

After the break, Karunaratne and Dickwella brought up a 50-run stand before Axar Patel dismissed the latter and he also got the better of Charith Asalanka soon.

Karunaratne continued with his solid innings and brought up his 14th Test hundred - and his first in India - with a flick of Jasprit Bumrah.

However, Boom eventually got the wicket of the Lankan skipper with an in-swinger and also bowled Suranga Lakmal in his last Test with a classic yorker.

Ashwin picked up the final wicket of Vishwa Fernando to help India win the Test and the series.

Did you enjoy that dominant series win, Paltan?