Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar produced a match-winning 10-wicket haul as India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test here on Wednesday, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the two-match series and a much-needed boost in their red-ball campaign.
The victory was especially significant as it came in India’s 600th Test match and at a venue where spin has traditionally played a decisive role.
Chasing an improbable 372, Sri Lanka resumed the final day at 84 for four but eventually folded for 206, with Suthar completing the job with figures of 6/55 in the second innings after claiming four wickets in the first.
Suthar Finishes The Job
Sri Lanka began the final day with Sonal Dinusha and captain Dhananjaya de Silva attempting to delay India’s victory.
The pair added 95 runs off 202 balls and frustrated the Indian attack for more than an hour in the opening session.
De Silva eventually reached his half-century from 125 balls, while Dinusha, who had scored a century in Sri Lanka’s first innings, also brought up his fifty.
Ravindra Jadeja then produced the breakthrough India needed, getting extra bounce from the surface as De Silva top-edged a sweep to Suthar at short fine leg.
Niroshan Dickwella attempted to accelerate the scoring but fell to Prasidh Krishna after edging an attempted shot over the covers through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Sri Lanka reached 199 for six after lunch, with Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha continuing to resist.
Suthar’s return, however, changed the game within minutes.
Six-Ball Burst Seals Victory
In the 76th over, Suthar removed Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara in the space of six deliveries to reduce Sri Lanka to 199 for nine.
Dinusha was dismissed for 84 after a determined resistance, while Jayasuriya and Kumara could not survive Suthar’s attacking spell.
The 23-year-old then completed his second-innings five-wicket haul by bowling Keshara Nuwantha to seal India’s victory.
Suthar finished with 6/55, giving him match figures of 10 wickets.
It was his second successive five-wicket haul in Tests after he achieved the feat in his maiden appearance against Afghanistan. He had taken four wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings.
The timing of his final wicket was almost perfect for India, with heavy rain arriving within five minutes of the match ending.
India Find Confidence In Galle
The win provides India with valuable confidence after their recent struggles against spin-friendly conditions.
India had suffered home Test defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, making victory in Galle particularly important for Shubman Gill’s side.
Among the other Indian spinners, Jadeja was particularly impressive on the final day, extracting useful turn and bounce while remaining accurate.
Kuldeep Yadav, however, struggled to make a significant impact on the abrasive surface and finished the day without the same influence as his fellow spinners.
Sri Lanka’s resistance was built largely around Dinusha and De Silva, who relied heavily on sweep shots to counter India’s spin attack.
Their partnership kept the hosts alive for a considerable period, but once Suthar returned, India’s pressure finally broke through.
Second Test In Colombo
India now lead the two-match series 1-0 and will look to complete a series victory in the second Test.
The next match will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23.
For Suthar, the performance could prove to be a defining moment in his young Test career, while for India it offers a timely reminder that their spin resources can still deliver on challenging Asian pitches.
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