India’s captain Shubman Gill congratulates bowler Prasidh Krishna for the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella during day five of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, Sri Lanka.
| Photo Credit: AP
The triumph at Galle was a fitting climax to India’s 600th Test. It spread cheer in the dressing room and for Shubman Gill’s men, it was the perfect appetiser for tougher battles ahead.
At home, Sri Lanka is a resilient opposition. Lying north of the equator, the heat can wear down players, more so in Galle, located on the southern coast, and in the blink of an eye, it could rain too. This blend of shimmering mirages and sudden moisture can be unsettling.
The surfaces can evolve from featherbeds to ones that tango with spin. A young Shane Warne found his mojo with a three-for-11 spell that deflated Sri Lanka in a Test at the SSC Ground here in 1992. Reputations can be made in the Emerald Isle.
India’s 462 in the first innings meant that the reins of the game were firmly with the visitors. Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 and his partnership with K.L. Rahul built a strong edifice. And there were robust contributions from Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant. In a contest where eyes shifted between the pitch and whimsical skies, India was locked in a race against damp weather.
Thankfully there was enough sun for the first Test to spill over into the fifth day. The bowling effort was largely fine, with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar being the best on view. The Rajasthan player’s match haul of ten was enough to derail the Sri Lankans.
In the Indian second innings, Pant dished out a blinder. The fact that he can alter the course of matches was reiterated again. On his day, he is a force-multiplier. And Padikkal’s 44 in the second dig was another exposition of his talent and temperament.
However, Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Gill would rue their average returns even as the former was unlucky to be run out in the first innings. Among the slow men, while Suthar prospered, Kuldeep Yadav was not at his best, and Ravindra Jadeja, who got his 350th Test wicket, has to sort his no-ball issue.
On the fourth day’s evening, Jadeja induced an edge from Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva and even as the catch was taken, the delivery was adjudged a no-ball. A spinner being plagued by no-balls is a bigger travesty, as fast bowlers can lean on momentum and it’s odd excess for an excuse.
It has been mentioned in the past that Kapil Dev never bowled a no-ball even in the nets. However, to any observer clued into how the Indian team practises these days, it would be obvious that over-stepping in the final bowling stride is not being scrutinised. Be it pacers or spinners, the odd full foot outside the bowling crease has been seen. At times this error gets replicated in the match.
As the team regroups for a training stint at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Friday (August 21, 2026), there is the after-glow of victory to savour, and equally there remains the need to look ahead and iron out a few glitches.
Published – August 21, 2026 03:42 am IST
