India Clinches Dramatic Galle Victory as Young Suthar Shines Amidst Looming Storm
GALLE, Sri Lanka – India secured a thrilling 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle, beating both their opponents and the elements just minutes before a heavy downpour threatened to force a draw on Wednesday, the fifth and final day. The triumph, India’s 600th Test win, gives them a crucial 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
The hero of the day was undoubtedly 24-year-old left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, whose devastating spell in the final session broke Sri Lankan resistance. Suthar ripped through the home side’s tail, claiming three wickets in the 76th over and the final wicket in the 78th to dismiss Sri Lanka for 206. His remarkable figures of 6-55 in the second innings completed his maiden 10-wicket haul in only his second Test match, making him the youngest Indian spinner to achieve this feat in an overseas Test.
India, who had posted scores of 462 and 193, set Sri Lanka a challenging target of 372. Devdutt Padikkal, with scores of 167 and 44, was deservedly named player of the match for his pivotal contributions with the bat. Sri Lanka, having scored 284 in their first innings, began their daunting chase on Tuesday afternoon, losing four wickets.
The final morning saw the main resistance emerge from a gritty partnership between Sonal Dinusha and captain Dhananjaya de Silva. They had successfully navigated 74 deliveries on day four and extended their stand to 202 balls, with both batsmen reaching half-centuries. However, the breakthrough for India came through Ravindra Jadeja, who dismissed de Silva for a patient 59 off 151 balls, caught at short fine leg attempting a sweep. Their 95-run partnership was a testament to their resilience.
Four overs later, close-in fielder Yashasvi Jaiswal’s persistence paid off as Niroshan Dickwella, attempting to hit Prasidh Krishna, was caught behind for 10. Despite these setbacks, Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha managed to steer Sri Lanka to lunch, but the interval proved to be a turning point.
Immediately after the break, the floodgates opened. Suthar ended Dinusha’s valiant resistance, having him caught down leg, edging a wayward delivery. Dinusha, who had scored a century in the first innings, top-scored for Sri Lanka again with a crucial 84 off 128 balls. The collapse was swift and brutal. Prabath Jayasuriya fell to Suthar on the very next ball, and although Lahiru Kumara denied Suthar a hat-trick, he too was caught behind after facing just three deliveries. Suthar then bowled Nuwantha, claiming all the remaining wickets after lunch and securing his second six-wicket haul in Tests, following his 6-33 on debut against Afghanistan in June. His impressive match figures stood at 10-131.
"We knew one big shower was going to come and we didn’t want to delay the game," said Indian batter Lokesh Rahul, highlighting the team’s urgency. "They had one big partnership but we knew if we could break that we could get into their tail. It was a great test match. The wicket played really well all five days.”
Indian captain Shubman Gill heaped praise on his young spinner. "He has been bowling magnificently," Gill said. "Looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a long time." Gill also lauded Padikkal’s efforts, stating, "He was magnificent to watch. It’s important to get hundreds but even after getting a hundred he got a big one.”
The victory sets a strong tone for India in the series. The second Test is scheduled to begin in Colombo on Sunday. Cricket fans can follow AP’s full cricket coverage for further updates.
