Although both The recent Ashes and India in Sri Lanka Test series were roller-coaster cricket, there was a big difference.
The Ashes showed wide swings Test by Test; England won comfortably in the first, third and fourth Tests, while Australia thrashed the home side by huge margins in the second and fifth Tests.
All these Tests were one-sided and lacked competition.
On the other hand the three-Test Sri Lanka vs India series swung every day, every session, every hour.
What a shame that this exciting series was not shown on TV in Australia, neither on free-to-air TV nor on pay TV.
Who decides which matches would be televised Down Under? In June-July this year, the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Test series was telecast in Australia on Foxtel.
What a spectacle we missed, as the just concluded Sri Lanka vs India series was a cracker, as all three Tests provided fluctuating finishes.
Trailing India by 192 runs in first innings of the first Test in Galle, Sri Lanka were sent back in and were five wickets down for 95 in their second innings – still behind by 97 runs.
An innings defeat looked certain, but Dinesh Chandimal scored a magnificent 162 not out, adding 225 runs for the sixth wicket with Lahiru Thirimanne (44), and they won the Test by 63 runs.
India spoilt Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell Test in Colombo (PPS), winning by 278 runs to level the series.
In the final Test, at Colombo (SSC), Sri Lanka required 385 to win but were four down for 74 and then 5 for 107. Then their captain, Angelo Mathews (110), and Kusal Perera (70) added 135 runs for the sixth wicket, making the impossible look probable.
However fast bowler Ishant Sharma and carom-ball spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took vital wickets, and India was victorious by 117 runs to take the series 2-1.
It was India’s first away series win in four years and their first in Sri Lanka in 22 years.
There never was a dull minute as the lower order batsmen from both countries batted skilfully after their top-order batsmen (with few exceptions) floundered disappointingly.
Cheteshwar Pujara, omitted in the first two Tests, was among the few batsmen to bat skilfully. And he would have missed the series-deciding final Test if openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan were fit.
Opening the batting, Pujara remained unbeaten with 145 in India’s score of 312. He became the fourth Indian to carry his bat, after Sunil Gavaskar’s 127 out of 286 versus Pakistan at Faizalabad in 1982-83, Virender Sehwag’s 201 out of 329 versus Sri Lanka at Galle in 2008, and Rahul Dravid’s 146 out of 300 versus England at The Oval in 2011.
However, Pujara made a duck in the second innings, accentuating the highs and lows of Test cricket.
Despite eight centuries, it was a bowlers’ series. The highest opening stand by either team in this series was 15 runs – the lowest top opening-partnership in a three-Test series in the history of cricket.
The fall of wickets in the series make dramatic reading:
India
First Test 1-14, 2-28 (in their first innings of 375) and 1-12, 2-30, 3-34, 4-45, 5-60, 6-65, 7-67, 8-81 (in their second innings of 112).
Second Test 1-4, 2-12 (first innings of 393) and 1-3 (second innings of 325).
Third Test 1-2, 2-14, 3-64 (first innings of 312) and 1-0, 2-2, 3-7, 4-64 (second innings of 274).
Sri Lanka
First Test 1-15, 2-15, 3-27, 4-54, 5-60 (1st innings of 183) and 1-0, 2-1, 3-5 (second innings of 367).
Second Test 1-1 (first innings of 306) and 1-8, 2-33, 3-72, 4-91 (second innings of 134).
Third Test 1-11, 2-11, 3-40, 4-45, 5-47, 6-47 (first innings of 201) and 1-1, 2-2, 3-21, 4-74 (second innings of 268).
I can’t remember a series when early wickets toppled so quickly in all three Tests.
Not surprisingly, the player of the series was a bowler, India’s Ashwin who captured most wickets (21 at 18.09) including a 10-wicket haul in the first Test.
Also India’s tall and hot-tempered quickie Sharma took his 200th Test wicket during the final Test.
“Being 0-1 down was never easy,” said winning captain Virat Kohli at the press conference. “I was told it has never been done [away from home] and it created a bit of history.
“Feels nice, especially with such a young team, early in our careers, it is a magnificent milestone, winning here for the first time in 22 years…
“But the attitude has been brilliant and Pujara came in after someone was injured and he saw it as an opportunity and not difficulty. That is why we are playing the kind of cricket we are playing… Really proud of the boys.”
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Thank you Keshava for you astute comments.
C Keshava Murthy
Guest
Kersi has a point when he asks as to why SL/Pak was televised and not SL/Ind - there should be some criteria - otherwise we may miss interesting matches and have to watch the one sided or boring tests - the test format is already declining despite giving decisive results - by not telecasting the absorbing series it would amount to further decline - atleast after SL won the first test the concerned authorities should have made arrangements for telecast of the remaining two tests - whether anything is telecast or not i always rely on cricinfo which satisfies our needs Kersi has been impartial in assessing the series - no excuse in puttng the blame on retirement of star cricketers - it happens to every country and one should be ready for the bench strength to make up the deficiency - india did anticipate and done the homework as a result of which the series was won - commitment and consistency has never been fhe forte of SL although it might have won a test here and there
Warnie's Mum
Guest
Kersi, you can always watch cricket on the internet. So you never need miss a ball. Sites like crictime.com show just about every series. The video quality is low to average and there are too many ads but its free.Just make sure you have an unlimited internet plan.
Armchair Expert
Guest
The only way I can get international cricket fta, Sidelline, is via wifi on my $40 aliexpress android device connected to the tv, on free app cricket tv (on willow cricket) but if you can't get a decent unlimited internet deal you're screwed.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Expert
True, SL have lost their big names. So have India: Tendulkar, Dravid, V V S, Sehwag, Kumble, Gambhi, Also Dhoni in Tests.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Expert
Thank you all for your interesting comments. I must thank CricInfo for keeping me informed. But for them I would have missed the recent fascinating India in Sri Lanka series.
13th Man
Guest
sounds like a fantastic series. It is a real pity that the series was not broadcasted at all.
B2
Guest
In India , maybe also elsewhere, it is not merit alone which wins a cricketer his National cap and again it is not merit which decides who should be in the playing XI.Otherwise I see NO reason as to why a player like Pujara should sit out. But coming to your point about the black out in Australia , very obviously it was a question of either economics or maybe , maybe ,The Australian viewer just does not want to see the Indian team playing , unless it is against Australia.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
It's a real shame that we don't don't have some sort of international agreement for this kind of thing. I would have loved to watch this series, and in general I enjoy watching other nations play as there is less emotional connection to a result. You ca just enjoy the cricket. But we'll never see international games on free-to-air, and now it seems fox has pulled the plug. As for Sri Lanka, it's understandable that after losing so many great players they will have a slide of some sort. I do question the decision of Sanga to retire with one game left in the series, though. I know he wanted to end on his home ground, but surely the series result was more important.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Usually Fox Sports broadcasts every India series - you'd have to assume that the asking price for this one was too steep, or there was some malarkey with the host broadcaster that made Fox steer clear.
Eski
Guest
Johnno my old man is of a fair age and has said he has lost count of how many times the death of test cricket has been written about , I am and have been involved with cricketers of 5-40 yrs from my experience no one talks about IPL and international 20/20 ODI are not talked about either , BBL talked about when it is on but apart from that nothing and a lot of young players talk about BBL as a way to make quick money and to get their name around state selectors . With the ashes are you surprised the hype is gone , cricket has had a marketing issue for a period of time a lot of people unaware when and where games are on top of that the Australian summer has NZ then WI then off to SA hardly a big summer of cricket in OZ
Kersi Meher-Homji
Expert
Thank you Ronan and Johnno. True Sanga, Jayawardene, Murali and Dilshan have retired but in Mathews, Chandimal and Herath they have excellent replacements. This SL-Ind was one of the best Test series yet I could not watch it on TV. But for CricInfo I would have missed it. Why was SL-Pak series televised and not SL-Ind? That is my question.
Johnno
Guest
Fans don't care about test cricket anymore, it's a dieing sport. Many recently have signalled the death of test cricket and it's impending doom and terminal decline. A few diehards and traditionalists and the older generation may care, not the masses or younger audiences or casual fan. It's all about bling, it's all about T20 and ODI cricket now to expand the sport. The casual fan may of cared 10 years ago, but not anymore. Test cricket is dieting and doomed many have been saying that lately. Ashes wasn't even hyped up like previous serious. It's a shame as this series was a good one and both India and Sri Lanka's bowlers bowled well.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Hi Kersi, Amazingly, prior to this series, India had won only one Test away from home in something like 4 years. As much as it's a great effort by India, it's another indication that Sri Lanka are on the slide massively. They have now lost back-to-back series at home against very poor travelling teams in Pakistan and India. Their bowling is toothless, and will get worse soon as Herath is 37yo and by far their most important bowler. The loss of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan has really hurt their batting too. They have tough times ahead as a team.