Ashwin spins India to series-levelling win

COLOMBO: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took five wickets to trigger a Sri Lanka batting collapse as India won the second Test by 278 runs in Colombo on Monday to level series.

Sri Lanka, who began the final day´s play at 72 for 2 chasing a victory target of 413 runs, lost their last eight wickets for 62 runs and were all out for 134 shortly after lunch at the P. Sara Oval. Ashwin finished with five for 42 and a match haul of seven wickets.

The defeat denied retiring Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara a fairytale farewell in his last international match. He had been dismissed for 18 on Sunday.

Sri Lanka had won the first Test in Galle by 63 runs.

The third and final Test starts at the Sinhalese Sports Club in the Sri Lankan capital on Friday.