India Dominates Sri Lanka in Historic Test Match Victory
India's Impressive Win in Galle Test
Photo: @3rdManView/X
Galle, Aug 19: In a remarkable performance, young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar took 6 wickets for 55 runs, leading India to a convincing 165-run victory over Sri Lanka on the fifth day of the first Test at Galle International Stadium.
Making only his second Test appearance, Suthar dismantled the Sri Lankan batting lineup in their second innings, achieving match figures of 10 wickets for 101 runs. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 206 runs in 77.4 overs, despite strong efforts from Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha, marking Galle's 50th Test match.
This significant win not only gave India a 1-0 lead in the two-match series but also earned them 12 crucial points in the World Test Championship (WTC), coinciding with their milestone 600th Test match. Suthar's second five-wicket haul in as many matches showcased his talent, making the second new ball unnecessary.
In the morning session, de Silva and Dinusha battled through challenging conditions, with de Silva reaching his fifty by cutting Ravindra Jadeja for four, while Dinusha hit a six off Kuldeep Yadav to bring up his half-century.
India broke the frustrating 95-run partnership when Jadeja's delivery caught de Silva's top edge on an attempted sweep, leading to a catch by Suthar at short fine leg, dismissing de Silva for 59.
Following this, Prasidh Krishna dismissed wicketkeeper-batter Dickwella for 10 runs, who struggled throughout his innings and had an unusual exchange with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the field.
On the last ball of the 60th over, Dickwella edged a delivery from Krishna to Rishabh Pant, marking another breakthrough for India. Keshara Nuwantha then joined Dinusha, navigating the remaining overs until lunch.
After the break, Dinusha, who had scored a century in the first innings, advanced to 84 and looked set for another hundred. However, Suthar turned the tide with a devastating triple-wicket maiden in the 76th over, dismissing Dinusha with a delivery that forced an edge to Dhruv Jurel.
On the next ball, Suthar bowled Prabath Jayasuriya for a golden duck, and shortly after, he claimed his fifth wicket by catching Lahiru Kumara's edge, completing his second five-wicket haul.
Despite some resistance from Sri Lanka's last pair, Suthar sealed the match in the 78th over with a quicker delivery that bowled Nuwantha for 20 runs, igniting celebrations in the Indian camp.
India's victory was bolstered by Devdutt Padikkal's outstanding first-innings score of 167, providing a substantial 178-run lead. Rishabh Pant's strategic 66 in the second innings further enabled Suthar and the bowling unit to capitalize on the turning pitch and secure a comprehensive win.
Brief scores: India 462 and 193 defeated Sri Lanka 284 and 206 in 77.4 overs (Sonal Dinusha 84, Dhananjaya de Silva 59; Manav Suthar 6-55, Prasidh Krishna 2-16) by 165 runs.