India registered a comfortable 165-run win in the opening of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle. Chasing 372 runs in the final innings, the Dhananjaya de Silva-led side lost four wickets in the final session of Day 4, which ultimately proved pivotal. If Sri Lanka had shown better promise at the top of the order, they could have taken the game to the wire, but it wasn’t the case.
The pressure was on Dhananjaya and Sonal Dinusha to keep the scoreboard ticking on Day 5 and they managed to do so to a great extent. However, Ravindra Jadeja gave the much-needed breakthrough just before lunch as Dhananjaya departed for 59 runs. The onus then fell on Sonal and incoming batter Niroshan Dickwella.
Out of them, Sonal managed to keep his calm and keep Sri Lanka in the hunt, but Dickwella departed for 10 after Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to get to his head. The young India opener sledged the keeper-batter, offering him an IPL contract if he had hit a six, which could have played a part in his dismissal.
Suthar dominates second session
Manav Suthar dominated the proceedings in the second innings. The spinner wreaked havoc, claiming a six-wicket haul. He claimed four wickets in his final 10 balls of the match, securing India a comfortable win. The Lankan batters had no clue how to play him and that resulted in a quick collapse.
Meanwhile, credit goes to Sonal, who made 84 runs in the second innings. He smacked a century in the first innings as well, proving his mettle in the longest format of the game. If he had some support from the other end, Sri Lanka could have pushed the game to the third session and with rain around the corner, any result was possible.
Overall, the match solved several of India’s problems. In Manav, India now have a perfect replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin, while Devdutt Padikkal, who hit a century in the first innings and 44 in the second, can be a long-term solution for number three. However, Kuldeep Yadav’s form is slightly concerning.
India win their 600th Test match
The game against Sri Lanka was India’s 600th Test match. Reflecting upon that, captain Gill stated that it was a very comfortable win, but they weren’t sure if they would get a full game because of the rain.
“It's great. It's really special to win the 600th Test match for your country. Yes, special indeed. You know, a very satisfying win for us. I think we were in a comfortable position. But to be able to come here, not sure if the match is going to go because of the weather, we were put under a bit of pressure. But I think the team responded really well,” Gill said in the post-match presentation.
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