India vs Sri Lanka 2017, Second Test: Hits and Misses

After a draw in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Kolkata, the Indian team dominated the visitors throughout the second test and registered an innings and 239-run win at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. With this win, Virat Kohli and co. take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Winning the toss on day one of the Test was the only positive for Sri Lanka as they were dominated by the hosts since. After being bundled out for 205 in the first innings, the Sri Lankan bowlers gave away 610 runs before Kohli declared the innings. Opener Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma registered their individual centuries while Virat Kohli went to score a double ton.

Trailing by 405 runs, the Lankans were dismissed for 166, with only Dinesh Chandimal 61 and Suranga Lakmal 31* putting up a semblance of fight. Moreover, R Ashwin became the fastest to take 300 Test wickets during the second innings.

Let us take a look at some of the best performers and a couple of players who failed to make it count in the second Test.

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Hit: Ishant Sharma

After the Australian Test series in March earlier this year, Ishant Sharma didn't take part in any of India's international matches as the team management preferred Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami in Sri Lanka and in the first Test, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was selected ahead of the lanky Delhi pacer.

After Bhuvneshwar opted out of the match due to his wedding, Ishant was given a chance to prove himself ahead of the South Africa series and the 29-year-old didn't disappoint. He started off the Test on a positive note by dismissing both the Lankan opener Sadeera Samarawickrama cheaply on day one before he returned to send Dimuth Karunaratne back for a well-made 51. Then, later in the day, he got the better of Suranga Lakmal, ending the first innings with figures of 3-37.

He started off the proceedings in the second innings in a similar fashion as he bowled Sadeera with a beauty off the second ball of the innings before accounting for the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella.

He ended the match with figures of 5/80 and showed a lot of maturity throughout the match. Ishant kept hitting the good areas on a consistent basis and showed that he is capable of leading a bowling attack when the team travels overseas. Hi's performance should give the team management a lot of confidence with some big assignments coming up.

Miss: Angelo Mathews

Coming into the series, Sri Lanka were dependant on Angelo Mathews to deliver with the bat as the former skipper gave up captaincy and bowling to concentrate only on his batting. He showed some resistance in the first innings of the first Test as he scored a fifty before getting out cheaply in the second.

In the second Test, the all-rounder had a forgettable outing as he was dismissed cheaply in both the innings. In the first innings, he played for the turn against Ravindra Jadeja's straight delivery, completely missed it and was trapped in front of the stumps for just 10.

After considering a lead of 405, the visitors would have expected their experienced campaigner to come good in the second innings but he threw his wicket for just 10 in a disgusting manner. He tried to take on Jadeja and ended up offering the mid-off fielder Rohit Sharma one of the easiest catches.

A player like Mathews getting out in such a fashion would have irked the captain and the team management, especially when his team is already trailing by over 300 runs.

Hit: Murali Vijay

After the toss on day one of the first Test, a lot of eyebrows were raised on the exclusion of opening batsman Murali Vijay from the playing XI. The Tamil Nadu opener last played a competitive game in March before he underwent a wrist surgery and decided to opt out of India's tour of Sri Lanka.

Coming into the match, Vijay, who was decent in the Ranji Trophy this season, needed to score big to prove a point. The right-hander came out all guns blazing as he scored a fluent 128 off 221 balls with 11 fours and one six.

He looked in complete control throughout his innings and his signature drives through the off-side and down the ground suggested that the opener is ready for the challenge. His 209-run partnership for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored 143, set the tone for India for a big total.

Miss: Ajinkya Rahane

When India toured overseas a few years back, two batsmen who were consistent throughout were Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane. While Vijay is looking solid with the bat, the same cannot be said of Ajinkya Rahane, who has been going through a pale patch in the format.

After failing in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Rahane failed to make amends in the second Test as he was dismissed for just 2 in the only innings India played. He tried to cut a wide delivery from Dilruwan Perera and offered Dimuth Karunaratne a simple catch at backward point.

Though his place in the side is not under threat, the team management will be looking for some runs off his bat.

Hit: Virat Kohli

Till India's tour of West Indies in 2016, skipper Virat Kohli had zero double centuries in Test and in less than 18 months, he has registered five of them, with the latest being scored in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the VCA stadium in Nagpur.

Coming into bat at the fall of Murali Vijay, Kohli looked in complete control as he played his shots right from the word go. He remained unbeaten after reaching his fifty when the stumps were drawn on day two. He walked out to bat on day three and continued from where he left the previous day and punished the Lankan bowlers.

He reached his 19th Test fifty and looked good for a big one. In the meantime, he put on 185 and 173 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara (third wicket) and Rohit Sharma (fifth wicket) respectively.

The Lankan bowlers hardly troubled him as he raced to his fifth Test double ton with ease before perishing for a well-made 267-ball213 with 17 fours and two sixes. In all likelihood, this will be the last match he will be playing before the South Africa tour as he is set to opt for some much-needed break for the rest of the year.