Dhanajaya de Silva was the star for the visitors as he stayed retired hurt on 119 as he snatched the match from India and confirmed that his team not loses the match. Roshan Silva too scored half-century and remained unbeaten on 74 and took his team home with draw.
Team India clinched the three-match Test series 1-0 after the Sri Lanka team’s valiant effort on day 5 of the test match at to Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Wednesday.
CHAMPIONS! #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/R7viJWJRU7
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2017
India had Sri Lanka 31 for 3 at Stumps on day four and needed 7 wickets on final day to win the series 2-0. But the courageous batting display from Sri Lanka and blunder in the field from India deprived the chance of victory in a Test match.
Resuming at 31 for three, Sri Lanka lost first-innings centurion Angelo Mathews within three runs. But the 112-run partnership for the 5th wicket between Dhananjaya and Chandimal turned the match towards draw.But Ashwin given breakthrough to India in the 55th over by cleaning the stumps of Dinesh Chandimal and Sri Lank reduced to 147/5 but Dhananjaya and Roshan Silva not allowed further fall of wickets and moved to tea at 226/5
Dhananjaya complained of muscle cramps and retired hurt on 119, having faced 219 balls and hit 15 fours and a six.
Roshen Silva (38) and Niroshan Dickwella (11) were at the crease with Sri Lanka needing to bat out one more session to draw the last Test of the series which India lead 1-0.
India pacers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma as well as deadly spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja failed to pick up wickets as Lankan batsman managed to hold against the strong Indian attack.
Virat Kohli Man of the Series for scoring 610 runs in three Tests at an average of 152.50 with three hundreds and two double centuries.
Virat Kohli adjudged Man of the Match for scoring 243 and 50 in both innings
This was 9th consecutive Test series won by India
Third Test Match Drawn. India Equals Australia's Record Of 9 Consecutive Test Series Victory. Most In Test Cricket. Congrats Team India. 💃👏🙏🇮🇳#INDvSL #IndvsSL pic.twitter.com/Ym7Fqp9y8O
— Sir Jadeja fan (@SirJadeja) December 6, 2017
Brief scores:
| Teams | India | Sri Lanka |
| Score | 536/7d & 246/5d | 373 & 226/5 |
