CHANDIGARH: India beat Sri Lanka by an’ innings and eight runs, 47 minutes after lunch on the fourth day of the one off test match here Dec 4.

This was India’s first win after 14 test matches and Mohammad Azhruddin’s maiden as captain after seven tests Besides, Indian opening bowler Kapil Dev ‘equaled English player fan Botham’s record of 376 test wickets.

The Punjab cricket association (PCA) announced a cash prize of Rs 100,000 for Kapil Dev for ‘accomplishing the feat.

The ace all-rounder joined his English counterpart as the second highest wicket tacker when be had Hashan Tilakratane (55), top scorer of Sri Lanka’s second knock, caught by Ravi Shastri

New Zealand fast bowler Sir Richard Hadlee still leads the field with a formidable 431 wickets.

As the game opened after the rest day Dec 3, the Sri Lankan Batsmen put up the fight t00 late, as a matter of fact, only after the fall of the eighth wicket at 136.

At this stage it looked as if the match would not last till lunch bot Hashan Tillakrante, who was the last man to go out making 55, and madurusinghe (11) got together to add 60 runs for the ninth wicket in 124 minutes.

Initially, even the second new ball made no impression on the batsmen, much later Manoj Prabhakar Yorked Madurasinghe for 11 and Kapil Dev got the wicket of Tillakrantne to end the match,

In the morning, Si Lankan Skipper Arjuna Ragnatunga could add only six runs to his Dec 2 score of 36, Trying to drive Venkatapathy Raju, he gave Azhatuddin a simple catch in the mid-wicket region, Ranatunga’s42.came off 224 minutes and contained four fours.

The next man in, Rumesh Ratayake, did no last his very first over from Venkatapathy Raju, He ‘was trapped leg before the wicket to a ball which it the score hardly rose after pitching. And when at of 136for seven, Kapil Dev bowled labrody for duct it seemed the visitors would not last till lunch.

But Hashan Tillakrantne, the diminutive left handed batsman, opened out and played some handsome shots. He hit eight fours in his innings of 55 made in 217 minutes. Madurasinghe gave him able support.

“After lunch, Prabhakar Yorked Madurasinghe for 11 and Kapil Dev had Tillakratne caught by Ravi Shastri at midwicket to get Indi, the expected win in less than four days of play.

 NAGPUR: Arvinda De Silva ploughed a lonely furrow for Sri Lanka, compiling his maiden century in the process, but could not prevent India from scoring a convincing 19run victory in the first of their three one day internationals here on Dec 1st.

Set an asking rate of 5.46 runs per over for victory by India, who made 245 for five in 45 overs after being put in to bat by the visitors on a wicket affording considerable seam movement, the Lankans could make only 226 for seven wickets

De Silva, who gathered 104 runs with seven hits to the fence that included a sixer, blended caution and aggression in the night ‘mix but found the task of piloting his team to victory beyond reach without adequate support from the other end.

For India, openers Ravi Shastri (unbeaten on 101 with 12 fours and a six) and Navjote Sidhu (52 off 80 balls) put on 133 runs for the opening wicket before teenager Sachin Tendulkar stormed the field with  a breezy knock of 36 off 22 balls with the help of two sixes and three fours.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 7, 1990