Spinners lead Sri Lanka to innings victory

(CNN) -- Spin twins Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis spun Sri Lanka to a crushing innings and 239-run victory over India with a full day to spare of the first cricket Test in Colombo -- India's heaviest innings defeat in 34 years.

Muralitharan picked up six second-innings wickets to add to the five he took in the first, while Mendis claimed a match haul of eight wickets as Mahela Jayawardene's side went 1-0 up in emphatic style in the three-Test series.

India, forced to follow on after being bowled out for 223 in the first innings in reply to Sri Lanka's 600 for six declared, were bowled out for 138 in the second innings less than an hour after tea on the fourth day.

Muralitharan ripped through the Indian batting, getting rid of Virender Sehwag (13) early on and thereafter picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Sehwag fell just before lunch, trapped in front, a decision which umpire Mark Benson had referred to the third umpire.

India then lost the remaining nine wickets in little more than a session, marking another disappointing performance with the bat.

VVS Laxman, the only Indian batsman to offer some resistance in the first innings with a gritty 56, was promoted to number three in the order, a decision which conjured up memories of his innings against Australia in Kolkata in 2001. Then, Laxman made 281 as India went on to win that match after being asked to follow on.

However, this time he was removed by Mendis for just 21, the spinner trapping him in front of the stumps with a delivery which hit the back pad.

The wickets then tumbled as India began a procession back to the pavilion. Sachin Tendulkar (12) was a little unlucky when he attempted to paddle-sweep Muralitharan.

The ball thudded into his front pad but flicked the bat before looping in the air for Tillakaratne Dilshan to take a fine catch at backward short leg. Umpire Billy Doctrove had ruled not out, but the decision was overruled by third umpire Rudi Koertzen on review.

Muralitharan then snapped up the wickets of Gautam Gambhir (43), Sourav Ganguly (four), Dinesh Karthik (nought) and Anil Kumble (12) to make it a performance to remember.

In his debut Test, Mendis was not far behind his idol. In addition to Laxman, he had the wickets of Rahul Dravid (10), Harbhajan Singh (15) and Zaheer Khan (three). The pair had hastened India's first innings demise by picking the remaining four wickets well inside the first session.

India had begun the day on 159 for six but any hope of stubborn resistance was soon ended. Kumble was dismissed in the third over of the day in a decision which also went to the third umpire.

Harbhajan was Muralitharan's fifth wicket of the innings, the tail-ender making just nine runs before edging a delivery onto his pads for Malinda Warnapura to take a simple catch.

Zaheer (five) did not last long either and was Mendis' third victim. Ishant Sharma (13 not out) and Laxman batted on in stubborn defiance until Laxman failed to read a googly from Mendis and was bowled through the gate.