NAGPUR: Spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets to enter cricket´s record books as India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs inside four days of the second Test on Monday.
Ashwin took 4-63 to pass former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee as the quickest to 300 Test wickets while the victory equalled India´s biggest Test win -- against Bangladesh in Dhaka 10 years ago.
Sri Lanka, who started the day on 21-1 after conceding a 405-run first innings lead, crashed to 166 all out, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal put up some resistence with a knock of 61 but the rest of the batting fell by the wayside as Ashwin returned overall match figures of 8-130.
Ashwin´s final wicket of Lahiru Gamage, for nought, made him fastest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets. He took 54 matches to reach the mark, two fewer than Lillee, who terrorised batsmen in the 1970s and early eighties.
Fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja and pacemen Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each.
Jadeja struck early in the morning session when he had opener Dimuth Karunaratne caught at short leg for 18.
The left-handed Karunaratne, who resumed the day on 11, got an inside edge on a tossed up delivery from Jadeja and Murali Vijay took a sharp close catch.
Karunaratne´s overnight partner Lahiru Thirimanne played an awful shot way outside off stump to hand a simple catch to Jadeja off Yadav for 23.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit a majestic double century on Sunday before India declared their first innings on 610-6 to take a firm grip on the match.
Kohli made 213 from 267 balls for his fifth double ton in 62 Tests. His innings featured big partnerships with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma to pulverise the opposition bowling.
Pujara made 143, Rohit Sharma 102 not out and opener Vijay 128 in a brutal statement of intent from India.
Sri Lanka squandered the advantage of winning the toss and batting first as they were skittled out for 205 on the opening day.
The third and final Test starts in Delhi on December 2.
Record-breaker Ashwin eyeing 600 Test wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin said Monday he wanted to double his tally of 300 Test wickets after becoming the fastest bowler to the mark against Sri Lanka.
Ashwin surpassed Australia´s pace legend Dennis Lillee, achieving the milestone in his 54th Test. Lillee took 56 matches to reach the same mark.
"I really hope I can go on to double these 300 wickets. I´ve only played 50 Tests," said the 31-year-old off-spinner after India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 238 runs on the fourth day of the second Test in Nagpur.
"It´s not easy bowling spin, it looks like you´re just ambling up. But there´s a lot (that goes) behind it."
The mercurial spinner, ranked fourth among top the top 10 bowlers, dismissed number eleven batsman Lahiru Gamage for nought to return impressive match figures of 8-130.
Ashwin, who made his debut against the West Indies in 2011, is India´s premier spin bowler and has often achieved top positions in the International Cricket Council rankings.
He had also surpassed Lillee in the race to 250 wickets in his 45th Test against Bangladesh early this year.
Ashwin also has 150 one-day wickets in 111 matches and 52 wickets in 46 Twenty20 games.
Inter Miami footballer shares adorable family pictures
Former Indian professional tennis player Sania Mirza turns out to be one of the most active celebrities on internet
Al Nassr, Inter Miami players are in intellectual footballer race
The Argentine player chills after outstanding performance against Revs
Contract of Liverpool's talented footballer Salah is set to expire in just over a year
"We've sent the schedule for the matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy," says PCB chairman
