The innings and 144 run loss on Friday was Sri Lanka’s heaviest against India and their fifth worst overall, in Test history. But more than the figures, what will hurt the tourists more is the fact that these two sides are evenly matched and the heavy defeat is not a true reflection of Sri Lanka’s strength.

The tourists had come to India with back to back series wins against Pakistan and New Zealand and the consistency they had shown in Test cricket in the last three years had elevated them to the number two rank in Tests.

The loss also was Kumar Sangakkara’s first as Test captain. Prior to the Kanpur Test, Sangakkara had won four of his six Test matches, having in between drawn two games.

It was also a major blow for Sri Lanka’s quest to win their first Test in India, but going by the body language, the players’ seem to be aware that things are quite within their control and will bounce back in Bombay in the final Test.

The toss was a major factor. The Green Park track was best for batting on the first day, but from thereon its slow nature made life difficult for the batsmen. As India had posted a mammoth first innings total of 642 runs, blocking wasn’t the answer as there was a whole lot of time left in the game. It was by trying to put away the bad balls that most Sri Lankans were dismissed.

They will regret the dropped catch of Virender Sehwag though. Sehwag, who went on to post 131, was dropped before he had opened his account in the first over of the morning as wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene dived in front of first slip, where Mahela Jayawardene was shaping up to take a straight forward catch.

Sehwag was also let off when he was on five when a leg before wicket shout off Chanaka Welagedara was turned down by umpire Nigel Llong.

Television replays indicated that the Indian opener was out. Sri Lanka will also be displeased that the Referral System, that has been used in the Test series going on elsewhere between West Indies and Australia and New Zealand and Pakistan is not utilized for this series.

‘The Island’ has learned that the Sri Lankans were all for the Referral System to be used in the series. It is also believed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India objected to the Referral System, allegedly on the insistence of a very senior current Indian cricketer.

True, there were a few factors that didn’t go Sri Lanka’s way, but questions will be asked whether the Sri Lankans should have allowed India to post a massive 417 for two on day one. The hosts were scoring at will, at a rate of 4.63 runs an over on day one. Even more distressing will be the fact that the Sri Lankan spinners failed to bowl a single maiden over between the three of them on day one, despite sending down 55 overs between them.

Muttiah Muralitharan’s terrific one handed diving catch to dismiss Gautam Gambhir was the only highlight for them on day one. But overall, he ended up with dreadful figures of two for 175 in 37 overs in India’s only innings.

Rangana Herath, though was impressive. He was targeted by the Indian batsmen from the moment he came onto bowl. On day one, he ended up with figures of none for 91 in 18 overs. But on day two he picked up five wickets, his fourth overall and first away from home.

Ajantha Mendis, India’s tormentor in the previous series with 26 wickets in three Tests, wasn’t able to create many opportunities. He had come in for the game as Sri Lanka opted to play three spinners at the expense of a seamer, but at the end of day one, they were wondering whether the team would have been better served with the help of a fast bowler.

For India, three players had made hundreds – all big ones – (Gambhir 167, Sehwag 131, Dravid 144) and two half-centuries. For Sri Lanka, just one player managed a half-century and that told the story as to how much the hosts had dominated the game.

When Sri Lanka replied, their first goal was to score 443, which would have prevented them from being asked to follow-on.

Like Sehwag, someone like Tillekeratne Dilshan could have put India on the back foot with his attacking style of play. Alas! He was dismissed in the very first delivery of the Sri Lankan innings.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavithana carried on till stumps taking the total to 66 for one. There was still quite a bit left to be done. But Paranavithana fell early on day three when he was caught behind by M.S. Dhoni off the bowling of S. Sreeshanth, who playing his first Test in 19 months, in an extended spell, put India right on top.

Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera, one player capable of playing long vigils, fell in quick succession in the same fashion, inside edging Sreeshanth deliveries on to the stumps.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 229 in their first innings, without a single batsman posting a half-century.

Soon M.S. Dhoni enforced the follow-on and Sri Lanka had to make 413 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

But they failed once again. Both Dilshan and Paranavithana fell cheaply and Mahela Jayawardene, the double centurion in the first Test, was run out in shocking fashion when captain Sangakkara pushed a delivery to mid-wicket to India’s best fielder – Yuvraj Singh – and called for a suicidal run.

Jayawardene was run out for 10 and to make matters worse, Sangakkara fell four deliveries later, dragging one on to his stumps for the second time in the day, this time to Harbhajan Singh.

Play on day three ended five overs before schedule with Sri Lanka reeling at 57 for four.

Overnight batsman Angelo Mathews started positively, hitting three successive fours in the second over of the morning on day four off Zaheer Khan, but fell in the same over, top-edging a pull shot.

In the first session of the fourth day, Sri Lanka lost four wickets and were 206 for eight at lunch.

Ajantha Mendis added 73 runs for the ninth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera, delaying the inevitable and Dhoni called on the part-time spin of Yuvraj Singh to break the partnership. He removed Mendis for 27 and when debutant Pragyan Ojha took a return catch to dismiss Chanaka Welagedara to end Sri Lanka’s innings, Samaraweera was left stranded on 78.

S. Sreeshanth was named Man of the Match as India recorded their 100th Test win.