India has positioned itself for a substantial victory in the first Test in Galle, reducing Sri Lanka to 84/4 at stumps on the fourth day. The visitors require 288 runs on the final day, with Sri Lanka having six wickets remaining. This strong performance follows a challenging start to India’s second innings.
India’s second innings saw an early setback when opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for no runs on the third ball of the day by pace bowler Asitha Fernando. Fernando finished with figures of 4/31, while Prabath Jayasuriya contributed with 3/43, helping Sri Lanka contain India’s scoring early on.
India Builds Lead Despite Challenges
Despite the early wickets, India steadily accumulated runs across the first six wickets. However, the innings concluded with a rapid fall of the final four wickets for only 19 runs, marking the shortest innings of the First Test so far. Despite this, India reached a total of 193 in their second innings, setting a target of 372 for Sri Lanka.
A half-century from wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, who scored 66 runs off 69 balls, was crucial in building India’s lead. Pant’s innings included eight fours and two sixes. Devdutt Padikkal also played a significant role, scoring 44 runs, anchoring India’s second innings. KL Rahul added 35 runs to the total.
Padikkal discussed his approach to red-ball cricket, stating, “But I think in red ball, I think it’s important that I, you know, tighten that side of my game. So that’s pretty much the only technical change I’ve made. Uh, just my hands being a little closer in red ball. Uh, but at the same time, mentally, it’s important that I make that shift.” He also noted his improvement in adapting between white-ball and red-ball formats.
Sri Lanka’s Batting Struggles
Sri Lanka’s chase began with early damage from India’s diverse bowling attack. Young spinner Manav Suthar made an impact with figures of 30/2, and pacer Mohammed Siraj secured two wickets from three balls in the seventh over, contributing to four dismissals overall. Siraj hurried Nishan Fernando into a pull shot, which was caught by Prasidh Krishna. Krishna later dismissed Kamindu Mendis.
During the fourth innings, Manav Suthar also dislodged Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who entered the match as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal was ruled out of the remainder of the Test due to a concussion sustained while fielding on day four, despite scans clearing him of other injuries. Sooriyabandara’s brief appearance ended when he was trapped leg before by Suthar, who later took the wicket of Lahiru Udara.
At the close of play, Sri Lanka’s skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (31) and first innings century-maker Sonal Dinusha were at the crease. Sri Lanka faces a significant challenge, as the highest successful chase in Test cricket at the Galle stadium is 344 runs, achieved by Pakistan in 2022, and a target exceeding 200 runs has only been surmounted twice at this venue since 1998.
India currently holds the fifth position in the WTC Standings with a point percentage of 48.15, placing them one spot above Sri Lanka, who are sixth with a point percentage of 41.67. The final day of the First Test is scheduled for August 19.
Source: icc-cricket.com
