Uday Saharan’s sweeping brilliance (106 batting, 179b, 13×4) eclipsed the Ranji Trophy return of Shubman Gill and prevented Punjab innings from capsizing on the first day against Chhattisgarh at the New PCA Stadium here on Sunday.

The 22-year-old’s proficient use of the sweep and slog sweep shots tamed Chhattisgarh’s left-arm orthodox salvo of Dharmendra Jadeja and Ajay Mandal, which accounted for 51 overs on day one, rescuing Punjab from 68 for three and taking it to 269 for four at stumps.

Vihaan Malhotra (40, 77b, 4×4) and Harnoor Pannu added 50 for the opening wicket but Punjab saw a drastic slump after both were pinned, too late in their flicks, off Jadeja and Mandal, respectively.

Gill flops

Chhattisgarh truly had its tail up after it wrapped up Gill’s much anticipated return inside five deliveries. Mandal invited Gill for a front-footed defence, but got the delivery to zip straight through his gate and crash into his off-stump.

It was then that Saharan took matters into his own hands and put up a 130-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh (62, 133b, 6×4, 1×6).

The Punjab captain wasted no time and deployed the stroke the first time he faced Jadeja. He was alert enough to use his crease too, pulling Mandal for another boundary off a long hop.

The attack was more freewheeling in the second session which began with Saharan slogging and then cutting Jadeja for eight runs in the same over. The intent rubbed off on Prabhsimran, who slog swept another left-arm orthodox Vikalp Tiwari for back-to-back boundaries.

The only blemish in the second session, in which Punjab accumulated 109 runs, came in the last over when Prabhsimran misread Jadeja’s length and was pinned on his back foot.

The dismissal did not throw Saharan off his tracks, and he put his sweep to use twice on the way to his third First-Class century in just 168 balls.

Salil Arora held one end with his unbeaten 75-ball 38, which allowed Punjab to put another 71 in the last session without further damage.

The scores:

Punjab — 1st innings: Vihaan Malhotra lbw b Dharmendra 40, Harnoor Pannu lbw b Mandal 20, Uday Saharan (batting) 106, Shubman Gill b Mandal 1, Prabhsimran Singh lbw b Dharmendra 62, Salil Arora (batting) 38; Extras (lb-2): 2; Total (for four wkts. in 90 overs): 269.

Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-65, 3-68, 4-198.

Chhattisgarh bowling: Sandeep 17-1-54-0, Dev Aditya 15-3-31-0, Dharmendra 29-4-92-2, Mandal 22-4-60-2, Vikalp 6-0-27-0, Ayush 1-0-3-0.

Toss: Punjab.

India men’s team captain Shubman Gill, openers Abhishek Sharma and Shafali Verma and spinner Shree Charani are among the nominees for the men’s and women’s ICC Player of the Month award for September.

Besides the Indian quartet, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu have also been named in the men’s and women’s shortlist respectively.

Abhishek smashed 229 runs in four T20Is, including a record 30-ball century against Afghanistan, while Gill amassed 333 runs in two ODIs against the West Indies, including his second double-century.

Raza was the leading run-scorer in Zimbabwe’s home ODI series against Australia.

The women’s shortlist recognises standout performances at the Asia Cup and the Asian Games. Athapaththu made an impact with both bat and ball, while Shafali excelled at the top of the order and finished as the leading run-scorer in the Women’s Asia Cup.

Charani, meanwhile, reached the highest rating points ever recorded in the ICC women’s T20I bowling rankings.

Gill is in line for his fifth ICC Player of the Month award.

He struck 110 in the first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram and then produced the fastest ODI double-century ever, his hurricane 223 coming off just 133 balls and helping his team chase down a mammoth 406-run target with eight wickets in hand and 39 balls to spare.

Abhishek, who won the award in September last year, struck the fastest T20I century by an India batter, improving on Rohit Sharma’s record of a 35-ball ton against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Sharma’s knock against Afghanistan at the Ferozeshah Kotla was also the fastest century by any batter from an ICC Full-Member nation as the left-handed opener scored 108 off 34 balls in the third match of the series.

Charani, who was also nominated for the award in June, continued her fine run in the international arena, finishing with 18 wickets in seven T20Is in the month of September with an impressive economy rate of 3.30.

After a haul of two for 13 in the Asian Games final, she attained the highest-ever rating points in the ICC women’s T20I bowling rankings, reaching 817 points.

Shafali, on the other hand, totalled 360 runs at a strike-rate of 184.61 and was the leading run-scorer in India’s successful campaign at the Asia Cup.

The hard-hitting opener also chipped in with six wickets during this period as India won gold at the Asian Games, where she struck 100 not out against Bangladesh in the semi-final and 48 in the final against Sri Lanka.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak highlighted Shubman Gill’s hunger to score big, calling the skipper’s unbeaten 233 against the West Indies here on Wednesday “one of the best innings” he had seen in ODI cricket.

“I feel that hunger is very important for a player. Normally, after getting to 100, you see batters get out. But when Gill was around 110-115, I felt he could probably get to 200.

“We always talk about the set batter finishing the game. Virat (Kohli) did it in the last match, and today Gill did it with Ruturaj (Gaikwad) alongside him. That hunger is important to play an innings like this.

“It was extremely humid. Even during the warm-up, we were out there for 45 minutes and were completely wet. We fielded for four hours, and then to bat the way Gill did was just unbelievable,” he said after the match.

Asked if it was a concern that the team had not been getting enough exposure to difficult conditions ahead of next year’s World Cup, he said: “As far as preparation is concerned, we’ll be playing five games in New Zealand.

“I’ve also been to South Africa, and there are wickets there that can be similar to our conditions. We have to prepare for whatever conditions come our way. Our batters will be ready.

“There will be difficult wickets in one-day cricket, and different venues will offer different conditions. Hopefully, by then, we’ll be prepared. Sometimes, I wonder how in the 1983 World Cup, 183 in 60 overs was a lot, and today even 400 doesn’t seem enough. Is it only the wickets, or is the standard of batting also going up? It’s debatable.”

West Indies bowling coach Ravi Rampaul said India “played well in the PowerPlay” and put his team “on the back foot.” He added that the focus was on restoring “belief” among the bowlers.

Indian bowlers inflicted telling blows on the top order, reducing Sri Lanka to 83/2 in their second innings at lunch after skipper Shubman Gill imposed a follow-on on the fourth day of the second and final Test on Wednesday (August 26, 2026).

Pasindu Sooriyabandara (35) and Kamindu Mendis (10) were batting at the break, with the hosts still trailing by 130 runs.

Resuming from 265/8, Sonal Dinusha, who was overnight 85, compiled his second hundred in as many Tests.

But his brave knock did not help Sri Lanka avert the follow-on, getting bowled out for 290, a mere 13 runs shy of the follow-on mark.

Dinusha raced to the 90s with a six, a slog sweep, and four, again whacked to the on-side, off off-spinner Saransh Jain.

The right-hander reached the coveted three-figure with a thunderous pull off pacer Prasidh Krishna, a moment he celebrated with pride and gusto.

Sonal Dinusha celebrates after scoring a century on Day 4 of the 2nd Test match against India at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, in Colombo on August 26, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

But soon his overnight partner Lahiru Kumara departed, lofting Jain to Dhruv Jurel at covers. It was the 34-year-old’s maiden Test wicket.

Jurel returned to outfield duty as Rishabh Pant, who copped a blow on his shoulder on the second day and stayed away from the field on Tuesday (August 25), returned to don the wicketkeeper’s gloves.

Dinusha, whose arrival as a Test batter might have warmed the Lankan hearts, did not last long, perishing to Jain.

The Madhya Pradesh spinner induced a false drive from Dinusha, which was pouched by KL Rahul at slip.

Following-on, Sri Lanka were jolted by the dismissals of Lahiru Udara (3) and a set Kamil Mishara (32), who fell leg-before to Ravindra Jadeja.

Udara’s dismissal might have disappointed the Lankan management to no end, as the opener played a rather irresponsible pull off Mohammad Siraj to get caught in the deep by Jain.

Siraj later had a moment of worry he hurt himself while diving for a catch. He had to go out to get medical attention but was back on the field after some time.

India handed a debut to spin bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain as captain Shubman Gill elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the second Test on Sunday (August 23, 2026).

India have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series, having won the opening Test at Galle by a massive 165 runs.

For Sri Lanka, batters Kamil Mishara and Pasindu Sooryabandara are making their Test debut.

Teams

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

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.

Hopping across the Palk Strait, Devdutt Padikkal has found his groove. In the warm-up fixture in Colombo, he cracked an unbeaten 142, and once he moved to Sri Lanka’s southern coast, a splendid maiden Test hundred was essayed. “I am so happy for him. He was waiting for this opportunity and the way he played was really encouraging,” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said.

Talking to the media after the conclusion of the first Test’s opening day in Galle on Saturday (August 16, 2026), Kotak offered his appraisal of Padikkal: “When I was at the NCA, he was working on his initial movement; he also worked on his back foot game. When we expect there will be turn, we try and work on stepping-out, sweep or back-foot game. A lot of credit goes to him.”

Asked specifically if Padikkal’s ton has erased India’s worries over the number three slot, Kotak said: “He batted well; Sai (Sudarshan) too has batted well at that number. But the thing is, they are all new batters. We are flexible in a way. Mainly, I would look at the way they bat, about how they are adapting to conditions, how they are dealing with the different stages. How they bat is important to me more than the number they bat at.”

Kotak termed the pitch as dry and explained: “When we saw the wicket, we felt that it is on the drier side. And there is no doubt that it is on the drier side. 288 for two is a good sign for us but it is just one day and we have a long way to go. I don’t think it will crack but I think it will spin more as the game progresses. The overall record shows that as the game progresses (at Galle), the average return of the batters goes down noticeably.”

K.L. Rahul’s adaptability was also lauded and Kotak said: “In Tests he opens, in limited overs cricket he comes in at five or six. He is flexible that way and in a young team when a senior like him plays well, it always helps. He takes responsibility, builds partnerships and is consistent.”

And as for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run out, Kotak clarified: “It is just that KL stopped halfway. Jaiswal got up and took one step. And that’s why probably that misunderstanding happened. But these things happen and it is unfortunate.”

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the first Test of their two-match series on Saturday (August 15, 2026).

India named a largely unchanged playing XI from their last Test against Afghanistan in June, with Devdutt Padikkal coming in for the injured Sai Sudharsan.

Sri Lanka handed debut to off-spin bowling all-rounder Keshara Nuwantha.

Teams

India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

India captain Shubman Gill will not take the field on the opening day of the practice match against SLC XI here on Friday (August 7, 2026) after sustaining an injury to his right finger during practice.

Gill picked up the niggle during a training session here on Thursday (August 5) and as result, K.L. Rahul is leading the side in his absence.

SLC XI has won the toss and opted to bat in the three-day practice game.

“Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” the BCCI posted on its ‘X’ handle.

“KL Rahul will lead the team in Gill’s absence.”

India are touring Sri Lanka for a two-Test series, starting at Galle on August 15.

The second Test will be played here from August 23.