Lavishing Dhoni Praises Sreesanth

Kanpur: Lavishing praise on temperamental pacer S Sreesanth for scripting India's record win over Sri Lanka in the second Test, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the comeback-bowler is as good as veteran Zaheer Khan when it comes to extracting reverse swing.

"It is important to bring fresh legs. Sreesanth is little different from Ishant when it comes to controlling the swing and I feel he is one of the best bowlers of reverse swing along with Zaheer Khan. Good to see him in action," an ecstatic Dhoni said after India beat the visitors by an innings and 144 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Sreesanth took six wickets, five of them in the first innings, to wreck Sri Lanka's batting and earn the Man of the Match trophy.

The win was also India's 100th in 432 Tests and their biggest over Sri Lanka.

"It is a moment of pride to be a part of the side that won the 100th Test. I think it wouldn't have been possible if the past cricketers had not done their job properly," he quipped.

Dhoni said the massive 642-run total that the Indians managed in the first innings was crucial in ensuring India's domination.

"It was a good toss to win. The wicket was good to bat on and first day it started turn and I feel the amount of runs we scored in the first innings was important," he said.

India's win was their 26th by innings margin - seventh against Sri Lanka and 18th at home soil. It was their third biggest as the table below shows:

The victory was also India's largest over Sri Lanka. India had beaten Sri Lanka by an innings and 119 runs at Lucknow in 1993-94.