The Indian cricket team shot to the top of the International Cricket Council Test Rankings after table toppers Australia crashed to a 0-3 series loss against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
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Australia slipped to number three after suffering a 163-run defeat at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground, Colombo.
Even though every man and his dog know that the current Australian team are bad against spin, not numerous said men (or dogs) would have seen such a comprehensive thrashing coming in the recently concluded Test series!
Marsh’s absence means Australia will still have two allrounders – James Faulkner and Moises Henriques – to use in Sri Lanka.
Herath soon took over from his fellow spinner to dismiss Australian skipper Steve Smith and senior batsman Adam Vogues in the same over.
Dilruwan Perera contributed with 2-71, his dismissal of David Warner – who was bowled around his legs without playing a shot – summing up Australia’s mental state to the hosts’ clever slow bowlers.
Sri Lanka’s only series win over its opponents had come courtesy of a tight 1-0 win in 1999, but Angelo Mathews’ side has totally dominated this contest and fittingly rounded out the win with a display of strength on Wednesday, Herath taking 7-64 to end the series with 28 wickets.
Dhananjaya de Silva followed up his first innings maiden century with an unbeaten 65.
Kaushal Silva’s gritty 115 played a big part in Sri Lanka registering their first series sweep against a major side since gaining Test status in 1981.
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc remained the standout performer for the visitors with his 24 wickets in the series including three five-wicket hauls.
Australia had been in a strong position in the final Test, but lost five wickets for 23 runs shortly after lunch to collapse to a series whitewash defeat for their fourth successive tour of Asia.
In a match where most batsmen struggled and the next highest score was 55 by Steven Smith, Mendis’s big century at 21 years old was proof of genuine temperament and skill, made all the more impressive by the fact that Sri Lanka trailed by 84 after the 1st innings, having been shot out for 117 in 34.2 overs on the first day.
This is the third time Australia has been whitewashed in a Test series in Asia.
Runs added by Australia’s No. 3, 4, 5 & 6 combined in this innings – their lowest in a Test inns vs SL. “He has been a great team man as well”.
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Pakistan’s achievement was more impressive as they have not played a Test series on home soil since an armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore in 2009 turned the country into a no-go area for the world’s leading Test nations.
