Sri Lanka spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan shared nine wickets as India were bowled out for 223 and forced to follow on in the first Test on Saturday.
Muralitharan snared five for 84 from 29 overs and Mendis claimed four for 72 from 27.5 overs on his debut.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene enforced the follow on with India trailing by 377 runs.
Muralitharan also struck in the second innings on the stroke of lunch, trapping Virender Sehwag lbw for 13, to leave India in trouble on 25 for one. Gautam Gambhir was 12 not out at the break.
The only Indian resistance to Sri Lanka’s new ”spin twins” had been VVS Laxman, who batted patiently for his 56 off 118 deliveries.
Mendis, an unorthodox finger spinner, struck early in the morning with Anil Kumble being trapped lbw for one.
Muralitharan claimed his fifth wicket of the innings as Harbhajan Singh (nine) edged onto his pad and was caught at short leg. Zaheer Khan was pinned lbw with a quicker delivery from Mendis.
Last man Ishant Sharma (13 not out) helped Laxman add 35 for the final wicket but Mendis quickly wrapped up the innings after being reintroduced into the attack.
In the second innings, Muralitharan needed just four balls to strike as Sehwag padded away a delivery from around the wicket.
The initial appeal was turned down but Sri Lanka successfully challenged the decision, with third umpire Rudi Koertzen adjudging the ball had pitched in line with the stumps. – Reuters