India secured a commanding 178-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle after Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets. Sonal Dinusha scored his maiden Test century, while Niroshan Dickwella made 80. Jadeja also reached 350 Test wickets during Sri Lanka’s collapse.
India strengthened their position in the opening Test against Sri Lanka after bowling the hosts out for 284 on Day Three at the Galle International Stadium on Monday, securing a commanding 178-run first-innings lead. Left-arm spinners Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja played the leading roles with the ball, claiming seven wickets between them as India produced a clinical bowling performance.
Suthar, who arrived on the tour with significant expectations, made an immediate impact by taking a wicket with his very first delivery. The young left-arm spinner finished with impressive figures of 4-76, extracting sharp turn and bounce from the Galle surface while maintaining disciplined lines and lengths.
Jadeja complemented him superbly, claiming 3-57 and reaching the significant landmark of 350 Test wickets during the innings. Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also contributed with one wicket each as India dominated large portions of the day.
India’s first innings ended at 462 early in the morning, with Asitha Fernando dismissing Prasidh Krishna inside four deliveries. Sri Lanka’s reply began disastrously when Siraj needed only two balls to make the breakthrough. He produced a fine outswinger that found the edge of Nishan Madushka, who was caught at first slip without scoring.
Suthar then delivered another immediate blow, dismissing Dinesh Chandimal with his first ball. He generated drift and turn to induce a glove edge, with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completing the catch.
The spinner struck again to remove Lahiru Udara for 27 after the batter mistimed a cut against a bouncing and turning delivery. Kuldeep then helped India claim their third wicket when Kamindu Mendis was dismissed for 14, with captain Shubman Gill producing a spectacular one-handed catch at short extra cover.
Jadeja added to Sri Lanka’s problems shortly before lunch, dismissing captain Dhananjaya de Silva for 21. He maintained a tight stump-to-stump line before getting the outside edge, with KL Rahul taking a low catch at first slip.
Sri Lanka were reduced to 99/5 and appeared destined to concede an enormous deficit. However, Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha completely changed the momentum with a determined sixth-wicket partnership.
The pair showed remarkable composure against India’s spin attack, using sweeps and reverse-sweeps effectively to neutralise the turn. Dickwella was particularly aggressive, repeatedly using the sweep to disrupt the spinners’ rhythm.
India also missed opportunities during the partnership. Suthar’s appeal for an LBW against Dickwella was rejected after a review showed the impact was outside off stump. Jadeja later appealed for another LBW decision, but the review showed the ball would have passed over the leg stump. Rahul also missed a sharp edge at slip when Dickwella was on 20.
The wicketkeeper-batter made India pay for the missed chances, reaching his 23rd Test half-century and his first in four years. He eventually scored a well-made 80 from 115 deliveries.
At the other end, Dinusha continued to build his innings with impressive control. He reached his second Test fifty from 93 balls and accelerated with well-timed sweeps and powerful strokes against the spinners.
The partnership eventually reached 146 runs, giving Sri Lanka renewed hope of reducing the first-innings deficit significantly. But India finally broke through after tea when Prasidh Krishna found subtle movement away from Dickwella. The batter edged behind to Pant, ending a crucial sixth-wicket stand.
Jadeja then claimed his landmark 350th Test wicket in unusual fashion. Keshara Nuwantha struck a turning delivery towards silly point, where the ball hit Yashasvi Jaiswal before looping to Gill, who completed the catch.
The milestone placed Jadeja among an elite group of all-rounders to have scored more than 4,000 Test runs and taken at least 350 wickets. He became the fourth player overall and second Indian after Kapil Dev to achieve the feat.
Despite Sri Lanka’s lower-order collapse, Dinusha remained composed and completed his maiden Test century from 167 balls. His milestone briefly provided a moment of celebration for the hosts, but India soon delivered the decisive blows.
Prabath Jayasuriya miscued a slog-sweep against Suthar and was caught at deep square leg. Jadeja then trapped Dinusha lbw after the ball turned sharply from the surface, ending a brilliant innings of 100.
Suthar completed his four-wicket haul by dismissing Lahiru Kumara stumped as the batter charged down the pitch. Sri Lanka lost their final five wickets for just 50 runs, finishing on 284 in 79.4 overs.
India therefore secured a substantial 178-run lead, with Suthar’s four wickets and Jadeja’s three wickets proving decisive. The day ended early because of rain, but India remained firmly in control after a dominant bowling display despite Dinusha’s outstanding maiden Test century.
Brief Scores
India: 462 all out in 116.4 overs — Devdutt Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82; Prabath Jayasuriya 4-109, Keshara Nuwantha 3-175.
Sri Lanka: 284 all out in 79.4 overs — Sonal Dinusha 100, Niroshan Dickwella 80; Manav Suthar 4-76, Ravindra Jadeja 3-57.
India lead by 178 runs.
| Also Read: KBC 18 welcomes CWG 2026 winners for an inspiring special episode |
