Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka in 2015
| Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka in 2015 | |||||
 |
 | ||||
| Dates | 6 August – 1 September 2015 | ||||
| Captains | Angelo Mathews | Virat Kohli | |||
| Test series | |||||
| Result | India won the 3-match series 2–1 | ||||
| Most runs | Angelo Mathews (339) | Virat Kohli (233) | |||
| Most wickets | Dhammika Prasad (15) | Ravichandran Ashwin (21) | |||
| Player of the series | Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) | ||||
The Indian cricket team toured Sri Lanka from 6 August to 1 September 2015 to play a tour match and three Test matches.[1] On 27 June, Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara said he would retire from international cricket after the second Test of the series.[2] The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket Board confirmed the schedule of India's tour to Sri Lanka in August to September 2015. The tour started with a three-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI, followed by three Test matches. The Test matches were played at Galle, P Sara Oval, and SSC Colombo.[3] The Indian team arrived in Sri Lanka on 4 August 2015.[4]
Three different openers for India Shikhar Dhawan (134), Lokesh Rahul (108) and Cheteshwar Pujara (145) made centuries in the series. This was fifth time in Test history. The last happened in 1970 Ashes by John Edrich, Geoff Boycott and Brian Luckhurst for England.[5]
India won the three-match series 2–1, and this was the first series win by India in Sri Lanka since 1993.[6] This series win also gave India their first overseas Test series victory since the 2011 tour in the West Indies.
Squads
| Sri Lanka[7][8] |
India[9][10] |
|---|---|
1 Murali Vijay was ruled out of the first Test and also last Test due to a hamstring injury.[11][12]
2 Stuart Binny was added to India's squad before the second Test.[13]
3 Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out of the last two matches after fracturing his right hand in the first Test.[14]
4 Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out of the last Test due to a hamstring injury.[12]
5 Naman Ojha and Karun Nair were added to India's squad before the third Test.[12]
Tour match
Three day:Sri Lanka Board President's XI vs Indians
| 6 – 8 August Scorecard |
| v |
Sri Lanka Board President's XI | |
- Sri Lanka Board President's XI won the toss and elected to field.
- Players per side 15 (11 batting, 11 fielding).
Test series
1st Test
| v |
||
- Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.
- Angelo Mathews (SL) made his 50th Test Appearance.[15]
- Ravichandran Ashwin took his 11th five-wicket haul and first against Sri Lanka. Ashwin's bowling figures of 6/46 is the best bowling figures by an Indian against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.[16]
The first Test of the series was a close affair. Sri Lanka, batting first, lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 183 just before tea on Day 1. India lost two wickets early, but consolidated their position. With centuries from opener Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli, they took a 192 run lead. Sri Lanka in their second innings again started poorly. However, a counter-attacking century from Dinesh Chandimal with support from Lahiru Thirimanne and Jehan Mubarak set India a target of 176. Rangana Herath ripped through the Indian batting line up to take a 7 wicket haul and hand Sri Lanka the victory.
2nd Test
| v |
||
- India won the toss and elected to bat.
- Rain interrupted play twice during Sri Lanka's first innings on Day 3 and in the second innings on Day 5.[17]
- This was the last international match for Kumar Sangakkara (SL), who retired from international cricket after this Test.[2]
- Amit Mishra (Ind) took his 50th Test wicket when he dismissed Dhammika Prasad in the first innings.[18][19]
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) took his third consecutive five-wicket haul in Test matches.
India brought in Murli Vijay for the injured Shikhar Dhawan and Stuart Binny for Harbhajan Singh and decided to bat first. Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane departed early but a fighting century from KL Rahul and fifties from Kohli and Rohit Sharma got India to 393 in their 1st innings. Sri Lanka again had a poor start but a 100+ partnership between Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne took Sri Lanka to a strong position before a collapse, leaving India with a lead of 87 runs. India in their 2nd innings consolidated their position with a century from Rahane and a 50 from an injured Vijay. Sri Lanka in their second innings were bowled out for 134 runs to hand India their biggest win in Sri Lanka. The Test marked the end of Kumar Sangakkara's international career.
3rd Test
| 28 August – 1 September Scorecard |
| v |
||
- Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field.
- Rain interrupted India's innings at 15 overs on Day 1 with no play was possible. Rain also interrupted play in the 96th over of India's first innings on Day 2 with play being called off for the day.
- On Day 3 rain interrupted play in the 9th over of India's second innings with play being called off for the day.
- Naman Ojha (Ind) and Kusal Perera (SL) made their Test debuts. This was 14th time that two wicketkeepers made their debuts in the same Test match.[20]
- Ishant Sharma (Ind) took his 7th five-wicket haul in Test matches. His 5/54 are the best bowling figures by an Indian pace bowler in Sri Lanka. He also became the 8th Indian overall and fourth Indian pace bowler to reach 200 Test wickets.[5]
- Dhammika Prasad (SL) record his career best bowling figure by beat his previews in a Test match.[21]
- Indian Ishant Sharma and three Sri Lankan Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, and Lahiru Thirimanne have been charged by the ICC for their roles in several angry exchanges during the match.
Injury to Murli Vijay meant that India had their third different opening combination of the series. However, the start was still poor and on back of an unbeaten century from Cheteshwar Pujara and a fifty from Amit Mishra India scored 312. The Sri Lankan innings had a similar poor start and was reduced to 47/6 before debutant Kusal Perera and veteran Rangana Herath took Sri Lanka to 201. India in their 2nd innings were reduced to 7/3 but successive 50+ run partnerships between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and Stuart Binny meant India set a target of 384. Sri Lanka had another poor start until Mathews and Perea joined forces and took Sri Lanka from 109/5 to 248. Ashwin got the wicket of Perera after he was caught trying to reverse sweep which exposed the tail and led to India winning in the last session on the final day. Ishant Sharma, for his aggressive behavior was handed a one-match ban along with Dinesh Chandimal.[22] This victory marked India's 1st victory in Sri Lanka since 1993 and Kohli's 1st series victory as skipper. Ashwin was named man of the series.
References
- ↑ "India build up to World T20 with plenty of matches". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Sangakkara confirms international retirement". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ "India's tour of Sri Lanka schedule announced". BCCI. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ↑ "Indian team arrive for three-Test series". Sri Lanka Cricket. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- 1 2 "Best figures by an India pacer in SL". ESPN. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka v India: Tourists secure series with victory in Colombo". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ↑ "Uncapped Vishwa Fernando in SL Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ↑ "SL Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ↑ "India's Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ↑ "Amit Mishra returns to India's Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ↑ "Vijay ruled out of first Test". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Vijay and Saha Ruled out of the third Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ↑ "Binny added to India Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ↑ "Dhawan ruled out of Sri Lanka tour". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka gear up for India's five-bowler challenge/Stats and trivia". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ↑ "Ashwin six-for puts India in charge". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ↑ "Report: SL vs Ind, 2nd Test - Day 3". bcci.tv. BCCI (Sports Media). 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "Mishra pleased with reward for flight and guile". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "Mathews' rescue act, and Binny's 288-ball wait". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ↑ "Series at stake as Sri Lanka begin life after Sangakkara/Stats and Trivia". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ↑ "Opening lows, and Prasad's best". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ "Ishant, Chandimal handed one-match bans". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 1 September 2015.