Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 284 on Day 3 of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Monday, securing a commanding 178-run first-innings lead.
India, who had posted 462 in their first innings, appeared on course to enforce the follow-on after reducing Sri Lanka to 99/5. However, a determined sixth-wicket partnership between Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella briefly revived the hosts’ innings.
Dinusha went on to score his maiden Test century, while Dickwella made a patient 80. Their resistance was eventually broken by India’s bowlers, who claimed Sri Lanka’s final five wickets for just 50 runs. Rain subsequently brought an early end to the day’s play.
Suthar was the pick of India’s bowlers, finishing with 4/76, while Jadeja claimed 3/57. Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took one wicket each.
Suthar strikes with first ball
India’s first innings lasted only four deliveries on Monday morning before Sri Lanka completed the dismissal of their final batter, with Prasidh Krishna falling to Asitha Fernando for the final wicket to leave India on 462.
The Indian bowling attack responded almost immediately. Mohammed Siraj struck with the second delivery of Sri Lanka’s innings, inducing an edge from Nishan Madushka, who was caught at first slip for a duck.
Suthar then made an immediate impact on his Test debut, striking with his first ball. He drew Dinesh Chandimal forward with drift and turn, with the resulting glove edge safely taken by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Suthar continued to trouble the Sri Lankan batters and removed Lahiru Udara for 27, who mistimed a cut off a turning delivery to backward point.
At 53/3, Shubman Gill produced a spectacular one-handed catch at short extra cover to dismiss Kamindu Mendis for 14 off Kuldeep Yadav.
Jadeja then added to Sri Lanka’s troubles just before lunch, dismissing captain Dhananjaya de Silva for 21 after inducing an outside edge that KL Rahul took at first slip.
Sri Lanka went into lunch at 99/5 and faced the prospect of conceding a huge deficit.
Dinusha and Dickwella frustrate India
Instead, Dickwella and Dinusha produced a determined counterattack.
The pair combined superbly against India’s spinners, using sweeps and reverse-sweeps to disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm. Their partnership initially put the Indian attack under considerable pressure and ultimately grew into a 146-run sixth-wicket stand.
Dickwella was particularly aggressive, using the sweep effectively against the spinners. He also survived a couple of close calls, including two unsuccessful Indian reviews and a dropped chance at slip.
The wicketkeeper-batter eventually brought up his 23rd Test half-century, his first in four years, but could not convert it into a hundred.
At the other end, Dinusha remained composed and reached his second Test fifty off 93 balls. He then accelerated, including a six off Suthar, as Sri Lanka moved beyond the 200-run mark.
The partnership denied India the opportunity to wrap up the innings during the second session, with Sri Lanka going into tea in a much stronger position than seemed possible earlier in the day.
Krishna breaks resistance
The breakthrough finally came soon after tea when Prasidh Krishna dismissed Dickwella for 80.
Krishna found subtle movement away from the right-hander, who edged the delivery behind to Pant, ending the crucial sixth-wicket partnership.
Dickwella’s dismissal also extended his unwanted record of having the most 50-plus scores in Test cricket without a century. He now has 23 Test half-centuries without reaching three figures.
India quickly regained control as the lower order collapsed.
Jadeja claimed his 350th Test wicket when Keshara Nuwantha attempted to attack an away-turning delivery and mistimed his shot. The ball deflected off Yashasvi Jaiswal at silly point and looped towards Gill, who completed the catch.
The landmark made Jadeja only the fourth player in Test history to combine more than 4,000 runs with at least 350 wickets, joining Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori. He also became the fifth Indian bowler to reach 350 Test wickets.
Dinusha completes maiden century
Despite wickets falling around him, Dinusha remained resolute and reached his maiden Test century with a single, completing the milestone in 167 balls.
His achievement, however, was followed almost immediately by the end of Sri Lanka’s innings.
Suthar dismissed Prabath Jayasuriya, before Jadeja trapped Dinusha lbw with a sharply turning delivery to end a superb individual effort on 100.
Suthar then completed his four-wicket haul by having Lahiru Kumara stumped while charging down the pitch.
Sri Lanka were all out for 284 in 79.4 overs, leaving India with a first-innings advantage of 178 runs.
India’s bowlers had briefly threatened to force the follow-on after reducing Sri Lanka to 99/5, but Dinusha and Dickwella’s substantial partnership ensured the hosts avoided that outcome.
With rain forcing an early close, India will return to bat on Day 4 with a substantial first-innings advantage and an opportunity to build an imposing second-innings total.
Brief scores
India 462 all out (116.4 overs): Devdutt Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82; Prabath Jayasuriya 4/109, Keshara Nuwantha 3/175.
Sri Lanka 284 all out (79.4 overs): Sonal Dinusha 100, Niroshan Dickwella 80; Manav Suthar 4/76, Ravindra Jadeja 3/57.
India lead by 178 runs.
(With agency inputs)
