India gains ground in Galle with strong bowling display
India has positioned itself for a victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, reducing the home side to 84/4 by the end of Day 4. The visitors require 288 more runs on Day 5 to secure the win, following a clinical bowling performance that disrupted Sri Lanka‘s batting lineup.
The Indian team demonstrated a comprehensive effort on Day 4, recovering from an initial slow start with the bat to establish a competitive total. This allowed them to protect their lead and exert pressure on Sri Lanka heading into the final day of the match.
India’s Second Innings and Key Contributions
In India‘s second innings, Sri Lanka made an early breakthrough, with pace bowler Asitha Fernando dismissing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for no runs on the third ball of the day. Fernando continued to impress, achieving bowling figures of 4/31. He was supported by Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 3/43, helping Sri Lanka contain India‘s scoring early in the innings.
Despite these early challenges, India managed to score steadily across the first six wickets. However, the innings saw a late collapse, with the final four wickets falling for just 19 runs, marking the shortest innings of the First Test so far. Despite this, India reached a total of 193, setting a target of 372 for Sri Lanka.
Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant was a standout performer with the bat, scoring 66 runs off 69 balls, which included eight fours and two sixes. His knock was the highest for India in the second innings and was crucial in building the lead. Pant‘s aggressive style saw him reach his fifty off 53 balls, including a six off pacer Lahiru Kumara. He also contributed to a 54-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja.
Devdutt Padikkal also played a significant role, scoring 44 runs and anchoring India‘s second innings. Padikkal, who had scored a century in the first innings, emphasized his approach to red-ball cricket, stating that he focuses on tightening his technique and making a mental shift from white-ball formats. He mentioned that he has improved in adapting between formats over the past couple of years.
KL Rahul was another contributor, making 35 runs. Rahul looked solid and added aggression to his innings, hitting two sixes off Prabath Jayasuriya. He shared a 65-run partnership for the second wicket with Padikkal before being dismissed by Jayasuriya. Captain Shubman Gill also fell to Jayasuriya, caught leg before.
Sri Lanka’s Batting Struggles and Concussion Substitute
When Sri Lanka began their chase, the pressure was evident. The highest successful chase at the Galle stadium in Test cricket is 344 by Pakistan in 2022, and a target over 200 has only been surmounted twice at this venue since 1998. This historical context highlighted the significant challenge facing the Sri Lankan side.
India‘s diverse bowling attack quickly caused damage. Spinner Manav Suthar made an impact with figures of 30/2. Pacer Mohammed Siraj delivered a fierce spell, taking 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, setting him up with in-coming deliveries before delivering one that moved away, leading to an edge caught by Rahul.
Between these strikes, Manav Suthar dislodged Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who came in as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal was ruled out of the remainder of the Test after sustaining an injury while fielding on Day 4, hitting his shoulder and head. Although scans cleared him of any injury, he did not pass the concussion test. Sooriyabandara‘s brief appearance ended when he was trapped leg before by Suthar, who later also took the wicket of Lahiru Udara.
At the close of Day 4, Sri Lanka‘s captain Dhananjaya de Silva (31) and first innings century-maker Sonal Dinusha (25) were at the crease. India holds a lead of 288 runs going into the final day of the Test. In the ICC World Test Championship standings, India is placed fifth with a point percentage of 48.15, one spot above Sri Lanka, who are sixth with a point percentage of 41.67.
Asitha Fernando‘s performance for Sri Lanka, recording figures of 4/31, was noted as the best by a pacer since 2019, when Suranga Lakmal took 4 for 29. He will need his teammates to perform with the bat on Day 5.
Source: icc-cricket.com
