Daijiworld Media Network - Galle
Galle, Aug 18: India were bowled out for 193 in their second innings against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday, setting the hosts a target of 372 runs to win the first Test.
Rishabh Pant top-scored with a fiery 66 off 69 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul contributed 44 and 35 respectively as India pushed for a result on the fourth day.
Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four wickets with a potent short-ball attack. Prabath Jayasuriya took three wickets, while Lahiru Kumara claimed two and Keshara Nuwantha one.
India resumed their second innings with a 178-run lead and immediately adopted an aggressive approach. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell in the opening over to Fernando, but Rahul and Padikkal steadied the innings with a crucial 65-run partnership for the second wicket.
Rahul initially played cautiously before cutting loose, striking two sixes and two fours. Padikkal, who had scored 167 in the first innings, followed up with another composed knock, hitting six fours in his 44.
Jayasuriya broke the partnership by having Rahul caught at deep mid-off. Captain Shubman Gill then made only eight before being trapped lbw by the left-arm spinner after hitting a boundary.
Pant remained measured during the first session, helping India reach 116/4 with an overall lead of 294 at the interval.
After lunch, however, the wicketkeeper-batter switched gears. He attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers while maintaining disciplined shot selection, using sweeps and reverse sweeps against Nuwantha rather than taking unnecessary risks.
Pant struck two sixes off Kumara, with the second taking him to 100 sixes in Test cricket, making him the first Indian batter to reach the milestone. The shot also brought up his half-century.
His aggressive innings ended soon afterwards when Kumara produced another bouncer. Pant attempted a pull but top-edged the ball to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.
Sri Lanka’s pace attack continued to exploit the short-ball tactic. Kumara dismissed Ravindra Jadeja after the left-hander miscued a pull towards deep backward square leg, where substitute Pasindu Sooriyabandara took the catch.
Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav briefly resisted, with Suthar hitting a boundary off Nuwantha. Fernando then removed Suthar, finding an edge off another short delivery that Dickwella held.
Jayasuriya dismissed Kuldeep, caught at slip for five, before Fernando completed his fourth wicket by having Prasidh Krishna caught after he fended off a short ball for two.
India were thus bowled out for 193, with tea taken nearly 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Brief scores
India: 462 & 193 (Rishabh Pant 66, Devdutt Padikkal 44; Asitha Fernando 4-31, Prabath Jayasuriya 3-43)
Sri Lanka: 284 (Sonal Dinusha 100, Niroshan Dickwella 80; Manav Suthar 4-76, Ravindra Jadeja 3-57)
India lead by 371 runs, setting Sri Lanka a target of 372.