India’s men’s cricket team have started 2022 in fine style and are still celebrating an emphatic win over Sri Lanka in a one-sided Test series. The leading sports apps made India the firm favourite for victory, offering a sportsbook bonus to all new players, but they couldn’t have imagined just how easy the win over a talented opponent would be. It was a sign that the beaten side has much to improve on, but the victors are headed towards a stunning year on the pitch.
The series final score read 2-0 for India, and that reflected the team’s dominance over their opponent thanks to some memorable individual performances. Test cricket at the highest level, as we all know, is a team game. All players on the field of play must pull their weight if a side is to grind out a win, but there were some names that stood out and will be remembered as the driving force behind India’s win to nil.
Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the show in the second Test match as the on-form pace bowler took 8-47 over the entire second test. He wasn’t alone in picking apart a shell-shocked Sri Lankan team, but without his bowling talents, it’s fair to assume India would have found life much more difficult, especially in the second Test match. Bumrah knocked the stuffing out of the tourists, removing any faint hope they had of clawing their way back into the Test following an opening game loss.
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Off to a winning start
India were determined to put on a show in the first Test match, and they did exactly that, taking just three days to defeat Sri Lanka, who barely got going. They weren’t given a chance by a relentless host who hit the ground running and never looked back. The scoreboard at the end of three days of Test match cricket read India 574-8 dec against Sri Lanka’s response of 174 all out and 178 all out. India won by an innings and 222 runs. Even those without a strong understanding of how cricket scoring works will know that’s a landslide win.
The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh, has witnessed some fantastic performances from India’s men’s team in recent times, but none quite so impressive as we witnessed in the first Test match. That was a real show of strength from the team, and as well as grabbing a win and building confidence heading into the thick of what will be a hectic year, it also sent out a message to the watching world.
This India team showed they mean business and have the tools at their disposal to flatten a good opponent like Sri Lanka. The win and scoreboard will have ensured the likes of England and Australia sit up and take note of what’s going on in India.
More of the same
With the tourists rattled and India having the wind in their sails, there was more of the same in the second Test match. It didn’t take India long to settle back into their rhythm after they won the toss and decided to bat first. That gave runners a chance to get off to a fine start, and they did exactly that, scoring 252 all out. Sri Lanka posted a woeful 109 all out, and that set the pace for the second installment.
Already trailing their hosts, things went from bad to worse for Sri Lanka, who finished with 208 all out while India chalked up 303-9 dec. By midway through the third day, it was verging on bullying what India was doing to their sorry-looking opponents, but there’s nowhere to hide on a cricket field at this level. It was a sustained beating for those in the away dressing room, and they won’t welcome a return to Indian soil anytime soon.
What’s next
With that win boosting confidence in the ranks, India looks to the future. They face South Africa in International Twenty20 cricket in June before travelling to the United Kingdom. India cricket fans based in the UK will see their team play Ireland in Dublin and then England throughout July.
