Rishabh Pant’s gallant fight against Sri Lankan pacers during his unbeaten 63 was the highlight of an engrossing first session after which India found themselves at a comfortable 419 for six on the second day of the second and final Test on Monday (August 24, 2026).

Pant and an equally impressive Dhurv Jurel (59) were batting at lunch after the tourists resumed from 300 for five, and the seventh wicket pair has so far added 112 runs.

Sri Lanka found an immediate breakthrough as Asitha Fernando jettisoned debutant Saransh Jain for six. India were 307 for six then and also in need of some more runs to pull away from the hosts.

Pant, who had to retire on three last evening (August 23) after copping a blow on his forearm from Lahiru Kumara, walked in next, and there was a tinge of apprehension about his fitness.

But he allayed a lot of concerns, about him and about the team’s position, during his near two-hour stay at the crease, batting with confidence and little discomfort.

The eventual runs against his name might look good, but Pant had to dig deep to reach that mark.

Pacers Fernando and Kumara targeted his body with a bouncer barrage, and the former even managed to ping on his shoulder once.

However, Pant was equal to the task, either moving away from the line or nudging the ball around.

There was an explosive moment too, when the left-hander got inside the line to hook Kumara over fine leg for a six.

Pant, who made a 66 in the second innings at Galle, reached his fifty in 81 balls with a pulled four off off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, whom he had earlier punished for two fours in a row.

The wicketkeeper batter celebrated the moment with a thundering maximum off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

On the other hand, Jurel was solid and the lone anxious moment came when Jayasuriya went for a loud leg before appeal after going past his outstretched bat with an arm ball.

But the right-hander too went past his second fifty of this series, pulling Jayasuriya for a four.

Runs on the board and rival wickets, is the template that Dhananjaya de Silva will chase when the second Test commences at the SSC Ground on Sunday (August 23, 2026). “It’s about putting runs on the board. That’s what India did [at Galle]. For the first two days they batted and got 460 runs. We are trying to improve and get some runs and take 20 wickets,” the Sri Lankan captain told the media on Saturday (August 22).

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Looking ahead, he said: “We are one down, and we are disappointed. Here we need to play well from the outset. Even though we are short on experience, we have a lot of talent. A lot of players have performed well in the Test team and the A team. The pitch is quite dry and will be good for batting in the first two days. In terms of combination, we will have the same — two seamers and two spinners.”

The host skipper revealed that Kamil Mishara will make his Test debut: “He scored a hundred in a T20 last week; if you followed him in the last few months, he has scored well. We are also looking at a left-arm pacer, maybe Vishwa Fernando.”

Progress in a Test is not just about the big knock or the five-for spell, equally it is about efficient performances that slip into the shadows. Dhruv Jurel’s 51 was a vital contribution during India’s first innings in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, and the wicketkeeper-batter said: “Whenever I go in, I just think about what the team needs.”

Speaking to the media at the Galle International Stadium on Sunday (August 16, 2026), Jurel added: “There is no personal milestone that I look for before batting. I listen to the captain and coach. I go there and do what the team needs, I try to control the situation for the team. It is about being switched on. I had played in the A-series earlier here and I had an idea about the pitch and the weather.”

Asked if he felt any pressure over his spot in the playing XI, ahead of this game, Jurel countered: “Not at all. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to represent India. That’s the only privilege that I play for.”

And as for the urgency on display from the Indian batters, Jurel said: “The plan was to make as many runs as possible by playing sensible cricket. Be it Rishabh Pant or me or the tail, we wanted runs on the board.”

Having wrested the initial honours during the first innings, Jurel felt that now it is the turn of the Indian bowlers to drive home the advantage.“Satisfaction is about winning the match. Our bowlers have to be consistent, bowl long spells. There is no rocket science. We need to put the ball in right areas and get those 20 wickets. Our score of 450-odd is very good on this pitch.”

Jurel also pointed out the value of the extended time that India had in Sri Lanka ahead of the Tests. “For India, it is all about volume. We came here 10 days before and trained at Colombo. We had many sessions. Batting on these surfaces helps us improve, and we become aware about the environment and the situation.”

The remainder of this rain-affected Test would be interesting and Jurel said: “The three days will be crucial. We have to work hard on all these days. We cannot be thinking about the time we lost to the rains”.

A pitch full of runs, was the initial analysis that Dhananjaya de Silva offered in the lead-up to the first Test against India. “This will be a different pitch from the usual Galle surfaces. I feel this will help the batters a lot, although the rains have prevented the ground-staff from putting in their best effort. But we should get good batting conditions,” the Sri Lankan captain said at the Galle International Stadium here on Friday (August 14, 2026).

With his squad featuring injury-enforced changes, Dhananjaya said: “Galle is a tough place to keep wickets and we have to get our best wicketkeeper on board. Having spoken to the selectors and head coach, we felt that (Niroshan) Dickwella is the right choice.” Incidentally Dickwella replaced an injured Kusal Mendis.

Dhananjaya also hinted about a probable debut for off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha: “He is young and very promising. He has consistency with his line and length and looks a good prospect. He will be a good investment for the future.” The host skipper also became nostalgic about the venue that would host its 50th Test: “It’s a big occasion. We had a lot of success here and personally, I grew up playing my cricket here.”