18 August,2026 09:54 AM IST | Galle | R Kaushik
India’s Manav Suthar during the first Test against Sri Lanka on Monday; (right) India’s Ravindra Jadeja celebrates his 350th wicket in Galle on Monday. Pics/BCCI
[popcorn number="One" desc="Ravindra Jadeja is the first Indian left-arm spinner to reach 350 Test wickets - he did so with the scalp of SL's Keshara Nuwantha in Galle" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="Four" desc="Jadeja is only the 4th Test player to score 4000 runs and pick 350 wkts, after Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori" class="Default"]
Left was the dominant theme at the Galle International Stadium on a bright, muggy Monday. Two Sri Lankan left-handed middle-order batters made bold statements on Day Three of the first Test, but they were comprehensively shaded by two of India's three left-arm spinners on a day of rapid progress.
Sonal Dinusha, a 25-year-old playing his fourth Test, and Niroshan Dickwella, recalled to the Test side after nearly three and a half years, rescued the hosts from the morass of 90 for five with an entertaining alliance of 146. But either side of that association, it was India all the way, primarily through their own mix of the new and the seasoned.
Manav Suthar, in his second Test, joined hands with the vastly experienced Ravindra Jadeja to spin a wicked web around the Sri Lankans that snared seven batters. Consequently, despite the handsome sixth-wicket partnership, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 284 in response to India's 462 to concede a deficit of 178, after which bad light and rain halted the entertainment for the evening.
India lost their last wicket off the fourth ball of the morning after adding just two to their overnight total, but Mohammed Siraj immediately lifted their spirits by nicking off Nishan Madushka in the first over. Soon, spin arrived in the form of Suthar, who produced a peach first up that spat and turned to take the splice of Dinesh Chandimal's bat on its way to Rishabh Pant's mitts.
Suthar was excellent in a probing first spell before flagging somewhat when the Kookaburra aged and softened, but Jadeja was probing and relentless throughout his multiple spells while becoming only the fourth player after Kapil Dev, Daniel Vettori and Ian Botham to complete the unique double of 350 wickets and 4000 runs in Test cricket. They didn't always get the commensurate support from an erratic and profligate Kuldeep Yadav, and were sometimes guilty of drifting on to the pads of the left-handed duo, but they applied enough pressure to reap handsome rewards against a Sri Lankan line-up that didn't play the waiting game consistently.
India were kept wicketless in the middle session but once Prasidh Krishna ended Dickwella's resistance, they charged back ferociously. Dinusha, whose century held the promise of more to come, perished immediately on reaching three figures, trapped in front by the persevering Jadeja, and the rest was routine business as the last five wickets keeled over for just 48 runs.
Brief scores
India 462 (D Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82, D Jurel 51; P Jayasuriya 4-109, K Nuwantha 3-175) vs Sri Lanka 284 (S Dinusha 100, N Dickwella 80; M Suthar 4-76, R Jadeja 3-57)
