Sri Lanka's Remarkable Recovery in First Test Against India
Sri Lanka Stages a Comeback in Galle Test
Photo: @Harshvardh44173/X
Galle, Aug 17: Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha delivered an impressive counter-attack during the second session of the third day in the first Test against India, both scoring unbeaten half-centuries and leading a remarkable recovery for Sri Lanka.
As the tea break approached at the Galle International Stadium on Monday, Dickwella (71 not out from 102 balls) and Dinusha (62 not out from 102 balls) had successfully navigated 29 overs without losing a wicket, bringing Sri Lanka's score to 214/5 in 57 overs. They now trail India's first-innings total of 462 by 248 runs and need 48 more runs to avoid the follow-on.
Starting from a precarious position of 99/5, Sri Lanka seemed on the verge of a significant first-innings deficit. However, Dickwella, returning to Test cricket after three years, and Dinusha displayed remarkable poise on a challenging pitch, effectively utilizing sweeping shots to add 124 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket partnership, thus alleviating the pressure from India.
Dickwella took the initiative, using the sweep shot effectively to disrupt India's spin bowlers. In the 32nd over, India wasted a review when left-arm spinner Manav Suthar struck Dickwella on the pads, but ball tracking indicated the impact was outside off stump.
Ravindra Jadeja also came close to breaking the partnership in the 35th over, fervently appealing for an lbw against Dickwella. India opted for another review, but the ball-tracker showed the ball would have bounced over the leg stump, costing them their second review.
Shortly after, KL Rahul dropped a sharp edge at slip off Suthar, allowing Dickwella to continue on 20. Seizing the opportunity, the wicketkeeper-batter reached his 23rd Test half-century, his first in four years, with a flicked double off Jadeja in the 46th over.
Dinusha, at the other end, played a well-controlled innings, combining soft-handed defense against the turning ball with calculated aggression, particularly with the sweep shot.
In the 49th over, the young batsman achieved his second Test fifty off 93 balls by sweeping wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to deep mid-wicket, celebrating the milestone with a six over the same boundary off Suthar.
Indian captain Shubman Gill rotated his bowlers, including brief spells from pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for reverse swing, but the pitch offered little assistance to the seamers, allowing Dickwella and Dinusha to bring Sri Lanka back into contention.
Brief Scores: India 462 in 116.4 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82; Prabath Jayasuriya 4-109, Keshara Nuwantha 3-175) lead Sri Lanka 214/5 in 57 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 71 not out, Sonal Dinusha 62 not out; Manav Suthar 2-52, Mohammed Siraj 1-29) by 248 runs.