Spin Sensation Manav Suthar Leads India to Victory over Sri Lanka in Galle
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
India Wrap Up Test Victory in Galle Before Downpour Saves Sri Lanka
India sealed a 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle, completing the win and confirming our cricket predictions just minutes before heavy rain rescued the hosts on Wednesday’s fifth and final day.
The Men in Blue posted totals of 462 and 193 in their two innings, with Devdutt Padikkal starring with scores of 167 and 44 to earn the Player of the Match honours. Sri Lanka replied with 284 before falling short in their pursuit of 372. Speaking after the match, India batter KL Rahul said:
“We knew one big shower was going to come and we didn’t want to delay the game. They had one big partnership, but we knew if we could break that we could get into their tail. It was a great test match. The wicket played really well all five days."
The Lions lost four wickets on Tuesday afternoon before the partnership between Sonal Dinusha and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was finally broken on the fifth morning. After reaching 175/6 at lunch, the home side collapsed, losing their final four wickets for just 31 runs in 64 deliveries.
The result was a landmark for India, as it was their 600th Test victory. With a 1-0 lead, India will now be looking to complete the series sweep by winning the second and final Test, which gets underway at the SSC Cricket Ground in Colombo on Sunday morning.
Suthar Shines With Maiden 10-Wicket Haul in Galle
While Padikkal earned the Player of the Match award, India all-rounder Manav Suthar’s role in the victory was immense, as the all-rounder claimed his maiden 10-wicket haul in just his second match for the national team.
Speaking to the BCCI’s media, Suthar revealed the work he has put in to improve since his debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh in June, explaining that he spent considerable time practising with the Kookaburra ball to prepare for similar conditions in Galle. He said:
“I practice my skills as much as I can; that is my main focus. After the Afghanistan game, my main goal was to adapt as quickly as possible. For example, the match was with the Kookaburra ball. So I practised a lot with the Kookaburra ball in the nets at home to get as tuned into the game as possible; that was the focus.”
Suthar attributed the victory to the disciplined and patient bowling by himself, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav, saying that their ability to hit the right areas and consistently target good lengths proved crucial on a challenging wicket.
