As a debate raged over whether the third test match between India and Sri Lanka should continue given the prevailing smog in New Delhi, hosts India were seven wickets away from winning the match, and the series, at stumps on the fourth day on Tuesday.
India declared at 246-5, 47 minutes after tea. This set Sri Lanka a target of 410 to chase in their second innings. The visitors lost their top three batsmen in fading light, facing some seriously hostile bowling from pacer Mohammed Shami, aided by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, with just 31 runs on the board.
The Indians were clearly under instructions to score at a fair clip with opener Shikhar Dhawan (67), Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli all scoring half centuries, with Sharma remaining not out. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 49. Kohli scored a total of 610 runs and had an average of 152.50 in this three test match series. Only one captain has scored more runs in a three-match series: Graham Gooch (752 versus India, 1990).
Ajinkaye Rahane, for whom this innings was an ample opportunity to get some runs and confidence behind him, however failed yet again. Coming in early after India lost the first wicket of opener Murali Vijay, Rahane had ample time to stay at a wicket that had no mysteries or surprises in it whatsoever. Looking woefully out of form, he was tentative at the crease and survived two DRS calls also. Playing a shot that was neither called for or necessary, he got caught at long on by Lakshan Sandakan off the bowling of Dilruwan Perera for 10. He had a miserable series, scoring just 17 runs in five innings.
Earlier, the fourth day's play started with Lankan skipper Dinesh Chanmdimal trying to up the scoring rate with just the last batsman Lakshan Sandakan for company. But he was able to add only 17 runs before he was caught at third man by Dhawan off Ishant Sharma's bowling for 164. For India, both Ravichandran Ashwin (3-90) and Sharma (3-98) topped the wickets tally, with Shami and Jadeja bagging two each. The Lankan innings folded in 5.3 overs.
