Sri Lanka crush India by 10 wickets in first Test

Galle, Sri Lanka, August 17: Sri Lanka wrapped up the first Test against India by 10 wickets here on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.

Needing six to win after India made 180 in their second innings, Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya smashed Zaheer Khan for a boundary to signal the emphatic victory 45 minutes before lunch on the fourth day.

The Sri Lankans met unexpected resistence from the Indians after they resumed their second innings at 130 for eight, still requiring 46 runs to make the hosts bat a second time.

The ninth-wicket pair of Rahul Dravid and Venkatesh Prasad carried their overnight stand to 60, the second highest by India in the match after the opening partnershiip of 79 in the first innings.

With Javagal Srinath unable to bat with a swollen hand, Prasad stepped in to hold the fort for 70 minutes as Dravid struck a defiant 61 not out at the other end.

The pair took the total past 175 to save their team the embarrassment of an innings defeat, but the effort came too late for the tourists.

Muttiah Muralitharan trapped Prasad leg-before for 20, giving the prolific off-spinner figures of five for 49 in the innings and eight wickets in the match.

Muralitharan's haul of 325 wickets in 63 Tests includes 28 in the last three matches at the Galle international stadium where Sri Lanka have won four of their last six Tests.

India's two innings here of 187 and 180 were their lowest against Sri Lanka, falling short of the 198 they made in the Colombo Test in 1985.

It was only the second win by Sri Lanka over India in 21 Tests since making their debut in 1982.

The second Test begins in the hill resort of Kandy next Wednesday, followed by the third at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo from August 29.