The 5 Pandavas who helped Team India conquer the Lanka fortress

The Indian cricket team broke its 22-year Sri Lankan jinx, with some stellar performance from these five players

After a long 22-year wait, India finally managed to conquer the Sri Lankan fortress with a 2-1 test cricket series win recently. This was the first such feat since the team’s 1-0 victory back in 1993. This also was the Indian cricket team’s first test series win after four years, the last before this being the victory against the West Indians on their home turf in 2011.

Here’s a quick look at the heroes in India’s latest series win:

Virat Kohli

At a time when a young team under a young leader in Virat Kholi was up against Sri Lanka on their soil, and much was being said after India’s loss in the first test match, the team’s overall show and skipper Kohli’s performance as a batsman and leader was quite commendable. On the question whether he will be able to fill M S Dhoni’s large shoes and a test captain, Kohli seems to have put much of the doubt to rest. Even as his team went down to its opponents in the first clash, Kohli kept his cool and remained focused, as Yudhisthira,  to clinch this confidence-building overseas win.

True, the series was dominated by bowlers from both sides. But Indians eventually had an upper hand over the hosts. For a leader, it’s not his individual skills but how he drives others’ skills is what defines success. In this case India’s Yudhisthira  had four other Pandavas’ skills to also thank.

Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s Arjuna for this Sri Lankan sojourn, Ashwin scalped 21 wickets in the series and scored the crucial 58 runs in the second innings of the third test at Colombo’ Sinhalese Sports Club. For his all-round performance, he was adjudged Man of the Series.

Amit Mishra

With his prowess to deliver googlies, Mishra, India’s Bheema  in this series, proved why he might be the right candidate to fill the void left by Anil Kumble, the legendary leg spinner. Mishra not only took 15 wickets but was also part of a match-winning partnership of 104 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara; he scored 59 runs in the first innings of the third test match in Colombo.

Cheteshwar Pujara

It took just one match Cheteshwar Pujara, the Nakula  in this story, to prove why he is an important test cricketer for India. Coming from an injury, Pujara played only the decider match and scored a brilliant century (145 not out), at a time when bowlers like Prasad and Herath were having a free run and scoring was not easy.

Ishant Sharma

This was a test series that saw Sharma coming of age, at least in so far as fast bowling was concerned. Many called his bowling in the decider test match as his best yet. Sharma, the Sahadev  in India’s Lanka crusade, picked 13 wickets in the three-match series — eight of those in the third match alone. Though his war of words with Sri Lanka’s Prasad and Chandimal created quite a flutter and cost him his match fees and one-match suspension, that hardly takes his bowling exploits away from him.

Thus spake Yudhisthira  

On this win in the island nation, Kohli said: “It is a magnificent milestone for all of us and will help us gain some confidence from here on. It has been a combined effort. It is never easy to win away from home.” On Pujara’s performance, he said: “I can be proud of the boys. If you take Pujara, for instance, he looked at this as an opportunity rather than a difficulty. That’s the change of mindset we are going through right now.”