India Close in on Victory Against Sri Lanka in First Test
GALLE, Sri Lanka — India is moving steadily towards a likely victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test match, needing just six more wickets to win after four days of play at Galle International Stadium.
India set a challenging target of 372 runs for Sri Lanka by being bowled out for 193 in their second innings. This leaves the Sri Lankan team with a tough task, as they ended the day at 84 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, still trailing by 287 runs.
At the end of the day’s play, Sonal Dinusha and Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva stood firm, both remaining at the crease. Dinusha, who scored a century in the first innings, was not out on 25 from 36 balls, while de Silva tallied 31 runs from 73 balls.
India struggled a bit in the morning session, losing four wickets to reach 116 runs for 4 at lunch. They were focused on scoring runs quickly, especially with the threat of rain looming.
Rishabh Pant was the standout performer for India before and after lunch, scoring 66 runs off just 69 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes. Other contributions came from Devdutt Padikkal, who added 44 runs off 75 balls, and Lokesh Rahul with 35 runs off 47 deliveries, helping India reach a total of 193 runs in 48.5 overs.
In unfortunate news for Sri Lanka, Dinesh Chandimal sustained a right shoulder injury while trying to stop a boundary. He fell awkwardly and was taken to the hospital, although scans showed no serious injury. He was replaced by Pasindu Sooriyabandara, making his Test debut as a concussion substitute.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack saw left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya claim two wickets before lunch, including the dismissal of Shubman Gill for just 8 runs, while pacer Asitha Fernando stood out with figures of 4 wickets for 31 runs.
Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a rocky start, with Mohammed Siraj dismissing opener Nishan Madushka for 6 runs. Manav Suthar made a significant impact by taking two wickets, including that of debutant Sooriyabandara for a golden duck, leaving Sri Lanka in trouble at 21 runs for 3 wickets.
By the 22nd over, Sri Lanka slipped to 47 for 4, after Kamindu Mendis fell for just 2 runs. De Silva and Dinusha managed to hold on, getting through to the end of the day, despite the call for bad light. They will need to bat for six more hours on the final day, while also facing potential rain interruptions.
