India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Ravindra Jadeja has really come a long way in the last four-five years.
India defeat Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs as Jadeja and Ashwin bagged four wickets in 2nd innings here at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Sunday to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.
"He has really come a long way in the last four-five years. I think his position is a little low for the way he is batting at the moment. His batting has gone one notch higher. He knows what he is doing and it reflects in the way he is batting. In between, we both realized that Jayant hasn't bowled a lot. For someone who is our third spinner, it was important to look after him. Jaddu decided that he would give up his overs and give him a go from the end where there was assistance. And then I gave up my end," said Ashwin after the first Test ended.
"Jaddu was magnanimous enough to give up the ball first. I had four weeks off. I wanted to contribute with the bat, stay positive, take one ball at a time. I usually get ahead of myself with the bat sometimes, and I hope to contribute now. I thought the surface was a pretty good one. It was not easy to get batsmen out on the defensive," he added.
Resuming post Tea session at 120/4 the Indian spinners continued their wicket-taking spree as Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Charith Asalanka in the third ball post-tea caught by Virat Kohli making him his 435th Test victim and going past Kapil Dev to become India's second most successful Test bowler behind Anil Kumble who has 619 Test scalps to his name. Ashwin is now ninth in the list of all-time highest wicket-taker in Tests.
Five balls later Sri Lanka lost Angelo Mathews for 28 to Ravindra Jadeja's leg before wicket and then two balls later Suranga Lakmal hold out by Jayant Yadav in mid-on without troubling the scorers. Jadeja got two wickets in one over to take his innings tally to three wickets and match tally to eight to leave visitors tottering at 121/7.
Wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella and Lasith Embuldeniya tried hard to delay the inevitable striking a small partnership and taking their team's total beyond the 150-run mark. Jadeja once again broke the partnership picking up his fourth wicket of the innings dismissing Embuldeniya for 2.
Dickwella was losing partners at the other end so he started playing shots but Mohammed Shami dismissed Vishwa Fernando for a duck to leave the Islanders at 170/9.
Dickwella went on to score his half-century and was the only Lankan batter to do so in 2nd innings. Ashwin finally dismissed no.11 batter Lahiru Kumara for 4 caught by Shami as he took his fourth scalp and Sri Lanka was bowled out for 178 in 2nd innings to succumb to a defeat by an innings and 222 runs.
( With inputs from ANI )
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