Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India thrash Sri Lanka in pink ball Test to sweep series 2-0

India thrash Sri Lanka in pink ball Test to sweep series 2-0

A bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah helped India thrash Sri Lanka by 238 runs inside three days at Bangalore's pink ball Test to sweep the series 2-0 on Monday.

Chasing 447 for victory, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 208 in the second session after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne's valiant 107, on a pitch that turned from day one.


Fast bowler Bumrah ended Karunaratne's spell and got one more to take his match tally to eight wickets while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took four over the day.

Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, respectively named man of the match and man of the series, scored 67 and 50 in India's 303-9 declared on day two.

Their key roles brought an emphatic victory that left the hosts unbeaten in all three of their home day-night Tests and extended their streak at home to 15 series wins in the five-day format.

India also won the opening Test in three days and this win gives new all-format captain Rohit Sharma a winning start to his Test leadership.

"It was a big thing to lead in Tests," Rohit told reporters after the win.

"I had the support of my teammates. They were telling me what to do and what not to do. There are a few senior members in the team who understand the game well and (I) had their inputs as well."

Left-handed Karunaratne made a second wicket stand of 97 before Ashwin broke through for the stumping of the captain's overnight partner Kusal Mendis, who recorded his 12th Test half-century.

Karunaratne went on to wage a lone battle and raised his century -- the sole hundred for a Sri Lankan batsman in this Test series -- with a boundary off Bumrah.

"I would have been more happy if we had won," Karunaratne said afterwards.

"We batted under lights and it was tough," he added. "We have a good team, (but) the batting didn't capitalise on these conditions."

- Lakmal farewell -

India, who gained crucial Test championship points in the whitewash, remained dominant from day one after Iyer hit 92 and lifted the team from a precarious 86-4 to 252 all out.

Iyer was named man of the match while the left-handed Pant was crowned player of the series for his 185 runs in the series and wicketkeeping duties.

Bumrah then returned figures of 5-24 for his maiden five-wicket haul at home to dismiss Sri Lanka for 109.

"Bumrah's performance was magnificent without a doubt," Rohit said of his deputy.

"To come out and bowl like that in these kinds of conditions shows how much skill and ability he has."

The series will be remembered as marking Virat Kohli's 100th Test in the opening game in Mohali, though the star batsman scored just 45, 23 and 13 in the three Indian innings.

The former captain twice fell lbw in this Test to take his average down to below 50 for the first time since 2017, but the crowd at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium gave him a rousing reception.

Sri Lankan quick Suranga Lakmal took one wicket in his last Test and finished his career with 171 scalps in 70 five-day matches since his 2010 debut.

Lakmal scored one before being bowled by Bumrah, who rushed to bid farewell to the 35-year-old veteran with an arm around him and the Indian team joined in.

The tourists, who lost the opening Test by an innings and 222 runs, suffered a total whitewash after they lost the preceding Twenty20 series 3-0.

Players from India and across the world will now assemble for the Indian Premier League, which begins March 26.

More For You

UK races to finalise trade deals with India and US amid Trump’s tariff turmoil

Nirmala Sitharaman with Rachel Reeves during her visit to London last Wednesday (9)

UK races to finalise trade deals with India and US amid Trump’s tariff turmoil

BRITAIN is eyeing imminent trade deals with India and the US as uncertainty over American president Donald Trump’s trade policies and his constant back-and-forth on tariffs continues to cast a cloud over markets and the global economic outlook.

Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s rollercoaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but speculation over new levies on highend technology and pharmaceuticals has kept investors on edge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gold

Gold had surged 3.6 per cent on Wednesday after US president Donald Trump ordered an investigation into possible tariffs on all critical mineral imports.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Gold eases after record high as investors book profits

GOLD prices dropped over 1 per cent on Thursday as investors locked in gains following a sharp rise in the previous session.

The fall came ahead of a long weekend, although gold stayed above $3,300 (£2,481) an ounce, supported by a weaker dollar and ongoing US-China trade tensions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vances-Getty

Vance will be accompanied by his wife Usha, their children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, and senior members of the US administration. (Photo: Getty Images)

Indian H-1B visa holders watch closely as JD Vance visits Delhi

US VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance’s upcoming visit to India, scheduled from April 21 to 24, comes as thousands of Indian H-1B visa holders in the US express growing concerns over immigration uncertainties.

Ashish Gupta, a software engineer working for Qualcomm in Michigan, recently cancelled a planned trip to Delhi. Although he holds a valid H-1B visa, he told The Times that he was advised by an immigration lawyer against travelling due to uncertainties under Donald Trump’s policies.

Keep ReadingShow less
King Charles

King Charles used his Easter message to reflect on human suffering, acts of kindness, and values shared by Christianity, Islam and Judaism. (Photo: Getty Images)

King Charles highlights shared values across faiths in Easter message

KING CHARLES used his Easter message to reflect on human suffering, acts of heroism, and values shared by Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

"One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness," he said, describing what he called the "paradox of human life".

Keep ReadingShow less
5 movies that nailed fashion like a runway finale

From Holly’s pearls to Gucci’s gold, these films didn’t just serve stories, they served serious style

5 movies that nailed fashion like a runway finale

Some films just hit different. Not for the plot (though we’ll give credit where it’s due), but for the lewks. The kind of wardrobe moments that make you pause mid popcorn, rewind, and mentally scream, “I need that outfit in my life!”

These movies are actually moving fashion archives. Some started trends, others revived them, and a few made us believe we could strut into Tesco like it’s Paris Fashion Week. Ready for a style rewind? Here are the five films that dressed to kill and succeeded!

Keep ReadingShow less