India bag first away Test series victory since 2011

COLOMBO: A total of 85 overs is a pretty long wait to complete a Test match win, but not as long as 22 years to complete a Test series win. Not since 1993 has an Indian team won a full series here in the Emerald Isles. On Tuesday, Virat Kohli and Co. also became the first team to triumph in a three-match away series after being 0-1 down, winning the third and final Test by 117 runs.
There was expectation in the air this morning and India were smelling history. Defending 319 runs on the last day and seven wickets to claim, India were always going to be the odds-on favourite. The win, though, was a hard-fought one as rival skipper Angelo Mathews (110; 240b, 13x4) stood like a wall between India and history.
It was Mathews' 328-minute vigil and a seventh Test century which pushed this game into the final session. Mathews was the only Lankan batsman, apart from Dinesh Chandimal to an extent, to show some fight in this series for the hosts, but like in the other Tests he didn't get any support from the other end on this final day.
The pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club eased out appreciably on the final day and India found the going hard, especially with the old ball. The game could have seen a much swifter end if Ishant Sharma (332) hadn't overstepped in the third over of the day with Mathews nicking him to the 'keeper. The skipper got two more lives as India missed a run-out opportunity with him on 35 and then umpire Nigel Llong turned a close leg-before decision off Amit Mishra down with Mathews on 93.
After a couple of early wickets in Kaushal Silva (27) and Lahiru Thirimanne (12), Mathews finally found an able companion in debutant Kusal Perera (70; 106b, 11x4). The second session was a tough grind for the visitors on a flat track with the 135-run sixth wicket stand flourishing.
"At no stage did we think that we could lose. In Test cricket on the fifth day, even if you have a century partnership, you always know that you'll get one-odd chance and you just have to grab it," skipper Kohli said after the win on Tuesday.
The chance, though, came through sustained pressure built up by Ishant, R Ashwin (4-69) and Amit Mishra (1-47). Perera, who played his natural game throughout this Test, fell trying to attack Ashwin - a reverse-sweep going straight to short third man just four overs before the second new ball.
The new ball was always going to be India's grand opportunity and Ishant settled the match just an over into the post-tea session. He trapped Mathews leg-before with the third delivery of the 80th over to slam the door on the Lankans. It was just a matter of time before India wrapped up the last three wickets, with Lanka ultimately losing the last five wickets for just 26 in about nine overs.
The day's play highlighted the chief success of this series for Kohli - the ability to pick up 20 wickets in every Test. Even when the going was tough, Ashwin (21 wickets), Mishra (15 wickets) and Ishant (13 wickets) always answered the call.