284/10 (79.4)
CR : 3.56
462/10 (116.4)
CR : 3.96
India won by 165 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Devdutt Padikkal
0/5167(230) & 44(75)
Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal (Player of the Match): "(On playing Test matches in Perth and Galle) Yeah, it’s been one of those things in my career. I started in Dharamsala, played a Test in Perth as well and now Galle. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was an amazing game.
(On the surface) The wicket had its natural wear and tear. It was a great Test match wicket. All 5 days it played pretty well. It started to turn a lot more from the third day. At the end of the day, it was all about who came out better in the skillsets and I think we did that well.
(Any reason why left-handers had more joy than right-hander?) Ah, not really. In this test match, it was dominated by the left arm spinners. So, that contributes to that. It was a slowish wicket. The left handers were able to negotiate the left arm spinners better."
(On the surface) The wicket had its natural wear and tear. It was a great Test match wicket. All 5 days it played pretty well. It started to turn a lot more from the third day. At the end of the day, it was all about who came out better in the skillsets and I think we did that well.
(Any reason why left-handers had more joy than right-hander?) Ah, not really. In this test match, it was dominated by the left arm spinners. So, that contributes to that. It was a slowish wicket. The left handers were able to negotiate the left arm spinners better."
Shubhman Gill (India Captain): (On winning India's 600th Test) "It's really special to win the 600th Test match for your country. A very satisfying win for us. I think we were in a comfortable position, but with the weather and not being sure if the match was going to go, we were put under a bit of pressure. But I think the team responded really well.
(On the batting in the third innings) Honestly, not really. We wanted to get around 400 in the third innings that we were batting. The wicket wasn't easy to score runs at will, and we were looking to play a little bit more aggressively in the third innings because we wanted that many overs, and we were not sure how many overs we'd be able to bowl on days four and five. So, that was the thought process, and in that process, we lost some early wickets. But I think overall, we were still in a comfortable position.
(On Suthar's 10-wicket haul away from home) He's been bowling magnificently, even in the first match that he played in India. In this match, he looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a very long time.
(On Devdutt Padikkal's batting) Yeah, he was magnificent to watch. It's important to get hundreds, but even after getting a hundred, how he carried on and got a big one for us, that's the difference between being in a competitive match and being in a comfortable position. In the second innings as well, the way he played and the way he dominated the spinners was a treat to watch.
(On the importance of the win in the WTC) Yeah, that really is the ultimate goal. That's why we are playing. Test wins don't come easy, and this one is very delightful."
(On the batting in the third innings) Honestly, not really. We wanted to get around 400 in the third innings that we were batting. The wicket wasn't easy to score runs at will, and we were looking to play a little bit more aggressively in the third innings because we wanted that many overs, and we were not sure how many overs we'd be able to bowl on days four and five. So, that was the thought process, and in that process, we lost some early wickets. But I think overall, we were still in a comfortable position.
(On Suthar's 10-wicket haul away from home) He's been bowling magnificently, even in the first match that he played in India. In this match, he looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a very long time.
(On Devdutt Padikkal's batting) Yeah, he was magnificent to watch. It's important to get hundreds, but even after getting a hundred, how he carried on and got a big one for us, that's the difference between being in a competitive match and being in a comfortable position. In the second innings as well, the way he played and the way he dominated the spinners was a treat to watch.
(On the importance of the win in the WTC) Yeah, that really is the ultimate goal. That's why we are playing. Test wins don't come easy, and this one is very delightful."
Most wickets after the first 2 Tests for India:
24 - Narendra Hirwani
18 - Axar Patel
17 - Manav Suthar*
13 - Nandlal Yadav, Venkatesh Prasad, Ravichandran Ashwin
24 - Narendra Hirwani
18 - Axar Patel
17 - Manav Suthar*
13 - Nandlal Yadav, Venkatesh Prasad, Ravichandran Ashwin
Most Test Match Wins for India in Away Countries:
11 in England
10 in Australia
10 in West Indies
10 in Sri Lanka*
11 in England
10 in Australia
10 in West Indies
10 in Sri Lanka*
10-Wicket hauls in a Test Match for India vs Sri Lanka:
2 – Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh
1 – Maninder Singh, Venkatapathy Raju, Ravichandran Ashwin, Manav Suthar*
2 – Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh
1 – Maninder Singh, Venkatapathy Raju, Ravichandran Ashwin, Manav Suthar*
Fewest Matches to take a Maiden 10-Wicket Haul in a Test for India:
1 – Narendra Hirwani
2 – Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Axar Patel, Manav Suthar*
4 – Srinivas Venkataraghavan
1 – Narendra Hirwani
2 – Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Axar Patel, Manav Suthar*
4 – Srinivas Venkataraghavan
So, what do we take from this first Test? India batted first and put up 462, powered by Padikkal's 167. Sri Lanka answered with 284, thanks largely to Dinusha's hundred and Dickwella's 80. India stumbled to 193, but that still created a target of 372. Sri Lanka made India work for every wicket on the final day. Dinusha's 84 was magnificent. Dhananjaya's 59 was stubborn. Their 95-run stand gave the hosts genuine hope. But India's bowling depth eventually made the difference. Suthar finished with 10 wickets in the match. The numbers tell one story. The fight tells another.
And India now have the lead. 1-0 in the two-Test series. Sri Lanka will leave Galle knowing they were not blown away. They were dragged into the final day. They made India sweat. But they also know the biggest question for the next Test - where will the runs come from? India, meanwhile, will take plenty of confidence. The first Test had everything. The second one now has a score to settle. Galle gave us a five-day fight. The next Test promises another chapter, which will start on Sunday, 23rd August in Colombo (SSC).
Also, with this win, India gained 12 WTC points. They are now in fifth position in the ICC WTC points table.
Also, with this win, India gained 12 WTC points. They are now in fifth position in the ICC WTC points table.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Ninaad Dixit, Pritam Dey, scorer Bishal Mandal, and statistician Aman. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!