Galle: India’s spinners strengthened their grip on the first Test against Sri Lanka as Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja combined for seven significant wickets to bowl Sri Lanka out for 284 before rain brought an early end to play. India secured a commanding 178-run first-innings lead on a rain-hit Day 3 on Monday, August 17, at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
India resumed the third day after being bowled out for a commanding 462, with Sri Lanka beginning their first innings. After an early batting collapse, Sri Lanka slipped to 99/5 by lunch. The spinners spearheaded the attack and kept Sri Lanka under relentless pressure before Sonal Dinusha’s maiden international century and a composed 80 from Niroshan Dickwella revived the innings and helped the hosts produce a strong fightback. However, India eventually bowled Sri Lanka out for 284 to secure a commanding 178-run first-innings lead.
The third day began with India adding two more runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 462. Sri Lanka then began their first innings with an early setback, as opener Nishan Madushka was dismissed for a duck by Siraj with only the second ball of the innings. Suthar made an immediate impact with his very first delivery, dismissing Dinesh Chandimal for 4 off 16 balls after inducing a faint edge that was safely taken by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Manav Suthar spearheaded India’s spin assault with sharp turn, extra bounce and impressive control, keeping the Sri Lankan batters under early pressure. Suthar then removed Lahiru Udara for 27 off 44 balls, while Shubman Gill produced a stunning one-handed diving catch off Kuldeep Yadav to dismiss Kamindu Mendis for 14 off 25 balls. The batting pair had briefly attempted to stabilise the innings, finding a few boundaries in their effort to rebuild the innings before eventually losing their wickets. Jadeja then removed Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva for 21, feathering an edge through to KL Rahul at slip. Sri Lanka slipped to 99/5 by the lunch break, leaving the hosts in deep trouble and under mounting pressure. Under immense pressure and facing the threat of a heavy collapse, Sri Lanka found valuable momentum in the contest as Dinusha and Dickwella took charge and revived the innings with a composed and determined partnership. The pair added an excellent 146-run stand from 216 balls for the sixth wicket, steadily regaining control at the crease while using the sweep shot effectively against India’s spinners. Dickwella brought up a brisk half-century from 67 balls, while Dinusha also reached his fifty from 92 deliveries. The breakthrough finally came for India when Prasidh Krishna dismissed Dickwella, who edged behind to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant after scoring a valuable 80 off 115 balls. Dickwella narrowly missed out on a century after playing a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s recovery. He had also been dropped on 20 by KL Rahul at slip off Suthar earlier in the innings. Keshara Nuwantha then came to the crease but lasted only 18 balls before Jadeja dismissed him for 2. The ball deflected off the knee of Yashasvi Jaiswal at silly point before ballooning into the air, allowing Shubman Gill to complete a sharp catch. With this wicket, Ravindra Jadeja added a remarkable milestone to his Test career, becoming only the fourth cricketer in history to score at least 4,000 runs and take 350 or more wickets in the longest format. Jadeja etched his name alongside three legendary all-rounders — Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori. Kapil Dev remains the leading run-scorer among the four, having amassed 5,248 runs and taken 434 wickets in 131 Tests for India. England great Ian Botham finished with 5,200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests, while former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori collected 4,531 runs and 362 wickets in 113 Tests. Jadeja, with 4,108 runs and 350 wickets in 90 Tests, is the only member of the elite quartet to have achieved the remarkable double before playing 100 Tests, underlining the extraordinary efficiency and consistency of his all-round contribution. The milestone further strengthens Jadeja’s standing among the most productive left-arm spinners in Test history. The wicket also made Jadeja only the fifth Indian to reach the landmark of 350 Test wickets, joining Anil Kumble (619), Ravichandran Ashwin (537), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417). Meanwhile, Dinusha continued his impressive innings and successfully brought up his superb maiden international century in composed fashion from 167 balls, including four fours and two sixes. However, his outstanding knock came to an end soon after reaching the milestone when Jadeja trapped him lbw (leg before wicket). Dinusha led Sri Lanka’s resistance superbly and played a pivotal role in keeping the hosts firmly in the contest. Suthar then claimed two more wickets, dismissing Prabath Jayasuriya for 10 off 5 balls and Lahiru Kumara for 10 off 5 balls. He completed a stunning spell with figures of 4/76, while Jadeja claimed 3/57, highlighting India’s dominant spin attack.
Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 284 in 79 overs, as India secured a substantial 178-run first-innings lead. The third day was repeatedly interrupted by rain before the weather finally brought play to an early end.
