Sri Lanka salvage some pride as India win ninth series in row

INDIA won a record ninth test series in succession yesterday after drawing the pollution-tainted third and final five-day game with Sri Lanka in New Delhi.

Top-ranked India won the series 1-0 to equal Australia’s record of nine successive test series victories, between 2005 and 2008.

The first test between India and Sri Lanka in Kolkata had ended in a draw and the hosts won the second by an innings and 239 runs.

But Sri Lanka salvaged some pride in the final match, thanks to Dhananjaya de Silva and Roshen Silva, who defied the odds and held out for a draw. The test, at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground, was marred by severe pollution, with the fast bowlers from both sides vomiting on Tuesday amid thick smog in the air.

In an unprecedented move, Sri Lanka’s players wore masks while fielding to combat the toxic air, which interrupted play on day two as the visitors protested against the choking conditions.

“It was a tough time,” Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal said.

“In Sri Lanka, we are not used it [smog], so that is why we struggled [on] the first two days.

“But we needed to continue the game, and today is a fantastic day,” the captain said, referring to the less smoggy weather yesterday.

Concentrations of the smallest, most harmful airborne pollutants hit 234 yesterday, still nearly nine times the safe limit.

Delhi could be canned as a venue in winter, India has said.

Dhananjaya, who retired hurt on 119 due to muscle stiffness, and Roshen (74 not out) held Sri Lanka steady over three sessions of play on the final day, after the visitors were set a huge 410 victory target late on day four.

Roshen was with Niroshan Dickwella on 44, when the teams decided to call it a day.