India Clinches Victory Over Sri Lanka in First Test with Suthar's Stellar Performance

India's Dominant Win in Galle Test

In a remarkable display of skill, all-rounder Manav Suthar led India to a convincing 165-run victory against Sri Lanka on the final day of the first Test at Galle International Stadium, giving India a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 372 runs, was bowled out for 206 on a challenging pitch. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva showed resilience with a score of 59 off 151 balls, while Sonal Dinusha contributed an impressive 84 after his century in the first innings.

Suthar's Impressive Bowling Performance

Starting the second session of Day 5 at 175/6, Sri Lanka needed 197 runs to win. Keshara Nuwantha and Sonal Dinusha were at the crease when Suthar unleashed his bowling prowess.

The duo managed to add 24 runs before Suthar struck, taking three wickets in the 76th over, reducing Sri Lanka to 199/9. He dismissed Dinusha (84), followed by Prabath Jayasuriya (0) and Lahiru Kumara (0) on consecutive deliveries.

Suthar continued his onslaught by claiming the final wicket of Keshara Nuwantha (20), securing a 165-run victory for India. This performance marked Suthar's six wickets in the second innings and his first 10-wicket haul in just his second Test match.

Sri Lanka's Efforts on Day 5

On the final day, Sri Lanka resumed at 84/4, with Sonal Dinusha (25*) and Dhananjaya de Silva (31*) looking to build a partnership. The captain began aggressively, hitting a boundary off Ravindra Jadeja's second ball.

Despite a slow start, the pair reached the 100-run mark in 42.3 overs. Dhananjaya reached his half-century in 125 balls, while Sonal hit a six off Kuldeep Yadav to bring up his fifty in 77 balls.

However, Jadeja broke their 95-run partnership by dismissing Dhananjaya for 59. Following this, Niroshan Dickwella's brief innings ended with him being caught behind, leaving Sri Lanka at 156/6.

Match Summary

Sri Lanka faced early setbacks on Day 4, losing four wickets while chasing a daunting target of 372 runs. Sonal Dinusha was unbeaten on 25, and Dhananjaya de Silva was not out on 31 at 84/4.

India had a substantial lead after bowling Sri Lanka out for 284 in their first innings, with Suthar taking four wickets. In their second innings, India managed only 193 runs, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target.

In the first innings, Sri Lanka struggled at 90/5 before a partnership between Niroshan Dickwella (80) and Dinusha (100) helped them recover. Ultimately, Sri Lanka was all out for 284, while India scored 464 in their first innings.

Final Scores

Sri Lanka: 284 and 206 (Sonal Dinusha 84, Dhananjaya de Silva 59; Manav Suthar 6/55) vs India: 464 and 193 (Rishabh Pant 66, Devdutt Padikkal 44; Asitha Fernando 4/31).