IND vs SL 2022: Hits and Flops as India register thumping victory over hapless visitors

Ravindra Jadeja with his all-round heroics grabbed all the attention as India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs at Mohali to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.

After electing to bat first, India posted a mammoth total of 574/8, courtesy of some outstanding performances, chiefly by Jadeja (175*) and Rishabh Pant (96).

India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja spun a web around the Lankan batters and bowled them out for 174 in the first innings. Sri Lanka, who lost 16 wickets on Day 3, were dismissed for 178 in their second innings after following-on.

They were one run short of Jadeja's individual score in their first innings, and just three ahead of it in the second, highlighting their predicament.

On that note, let's look at the hits and flops from the first Ind vs SL Test.

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#4 Ind vs SL 1st Test: Flop - Lahiru Thirimanne (Sri Lanka)

Lahiru Thirimanne's dismissal during the second innings of the first Ind vs SL Test [P.C: BCCI]

Lahiru Thirimanne, who made his comeback to the Test side, endured a tough outing in the first Test against India. He opened the batting alongside his skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.

In the first innings, the duo checked off their target of avoiding losing any wickets in the first hour. While Karunaratne looked solid and even smashed five boundaries, Thirimanne struggled, especially against Ashwin.

Soon enough, the off-spinner trapped the left-hander in front of the stumps. Thirimanne played down the wrong line and got dismissed for 17 off 60 balls.

In the second innings, on Day 3, he failed to trouble the scorers and got out on a duck. And it was Ashwin once again! While the 32-year old got dismissed with a slider in the first innings, it was a classic off-break in the second.

A flighted ball on the off-stump, kissed the outside half of Thirimanne's bat and went low to Rohit Sharma at first slip.

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#3 Ind vs SL 1st Test: Hit - Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

Ravichandran Ashwin during an appeal for a wicket in the first Ind vs SL Test [P.C:BCCI]

While Ravindra Jadeja stole the limelight with his heroics, Ravi Ashwin too continued his dominance in home conditions. The 35-year old starred with both bat and ball.

With the willow in hand, Ashwin registered his 12th half-century in Test cricket, scoring 61 off 82. He stitched a 130-run partnership with Jadeja and helped India stack up 574 runs in the first innings.

In the two innings with the ball, the off-spinner picked up six wickets in the match - two in the first and four in the second. In the process, he went past Richard Hadlee, Rangana Herath, and Kapil Dev's Test wicket tally to become the 9th most successful bowler in Test cricket history, in regards to number of wickets.

The Chennai-born spinner troubled the Lankan batters throughout the Test and used all his guile and tricks. He was influential in wrapping up the game within three days.

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#2 Ind vs SL 1st Test: Flop - Vishwa Fernando (Sri Lanka)

Vishwa Fernando during the first Ind vs SL Test

While all Sri Lankan bowlers were hit to all parts of the ground in the first Test, Vishwa Fernando was the most expensive. He leaked 135 runs in 26 overs at an economy rate of 5.2 - the most by any bowler.

Even though he scalped two wickets - of Hanuma Vihari and Jayant Yadav - the Indian batters tackled the left-armer rather comfortably. Fernando bowled either too short or too full with the new ball which saw him give away three boundaries in his very second over.

Fernando gave away as many as 20 boundaries in the first innings. He also bowled five overs in which he conceded two or more boundaries. Although the 30-year-old isn't known for his batting exploits, his 5-ball ducks in both the innings will not give him any sort of confidence.

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#1 Ind vs SL 1st Test: Hit - Ravindra Jadeja (India)

Ravindra Jadeja after scoring his second Test ton in the first Ind vs SL Test [P.C: BCCI]

Who else will be the biggest hit of the game other than the 'Rockstar' Ravindra Jadeja?

From Day 1, he stood tall and showcased his all-round prowess with aplomb. The left-hander broke numerous records in a match that saw one of his best performances.

After playing the supporting role to Rishabh Pant on the opening day, Jadeja commanded the stage on Day 2. He paced his innings to perfection and scored runs for fun.

Jadeja went on to score his second Test ton before reaching his maiden 150+ score. In his innings of 175* off 228, Jadeja clobbered 17 fours and 3 sixes.

With the ball, the left-armer took nine out of the 20 wickets of the opposition and won the game for India. In the first innings, Jadeja registered his 10th Test five-fer.

During the second innings, he remained one short of another five-fer. It was after 60 years that an Indian achieved the distinction of scoring a 150 and taking a five-wicket haul in the same match. Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar are the other Indian owners of this rare feat.