Suthar takes 6-fer as Dinusha’s gritty 84 goes in vain, India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle Test

Young Sonal Dinusha put up a fight with his gritty knock but Manav Suthar claimed a five-wicket haul to hand India a 165-run win in the first Test of the series at The Galle International Stadium. On Day 5, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinusha shared a 95-run stand for the fifth wicket to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt. But, Suthar’s fifer ensured India resume their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-26 campaign with a win.

Jadeja gets the breakthrough

Starting Day 5 at 84/4, Dinusha and Silva denied early wickets to Indian bowlers. Both of them reached their respective half-centuries in the first session. In the 56th over, Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership as Silva went for a sweep but the top-edge carried to Suthar. The skipper scored 59 runs from 151 balls. Wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella could not repeat his first innings heroics and fell into Yashasvi Jaiswal's sledging track. He got out to Prasidh Krishna's short ball for 10 runs. At the end of first session, Sri Lanka were 175/6.

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Suthar misses hat-trick, takes 4 wickets in 10 balls

Keshara Nuwantha and Dinusha helped the hosts recover. But Suthar's patience paid off. The leg side trap worked and Dinusha edged one to leg gully fielder Dhruv Jurel. The Sri Lanka batter scored 84 runs from 128 deliveries. Suthar followed it up with a straighter delivery to Prabath Jayasuriya to knock him over. The left-arm spinner missed his hat-trick but got Lahiru Kumara out in the same over. In his next over, he wrapped up the proceedings by knocking over Nuwantha.

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Sri Lanka were bowled out for 206 in 77.4 overs. Suthar, playing his second Test, completed 10 wickets in the Galle Test. Krishna struck twice whereas Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj bagged one each. Kuldeep Yadav is the only frontline India batter who did not get a wicket in the fourth innings.

Padikkal wins POTM

Replacing an injured Sai Sudharsan at no.3, Devdutt Padikkal starred on his comeback. In the first innings, he scored 167 runs, his maiden Test hundred. He followed it up with a 44-run knock. The southpaw was adjudged 'Player of the match'.