Galle Test: India tighten grip on Sri Lanka despite Dinusha's resistance on Day 3
Brief scores: India (462) lead Sri Lanka (284 in 79.4 overs) by 178 runs at stumps on Day 3 of the opening Test in Galle.
Sonal Dinusha’s maiden Test hundred threatened to derail India’s hopes of enforcing the follow-on, but Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja eventually finished the job as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 284 on the third day of the first Test in Galle on Monday. India took a commanding 178-run first-innings lead before rain brought an early end to play.
SL vs IND, 1st Test Day 3: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Suthar returned figures of 4/76, while Jadeja picked up 3/57 as India’s spin attack dominated for large periods of the day. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav claimed one wicket apiece as Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed after Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella had mounted a spirited fightback.
India looked well-placed to enforce the follow-on after reducing Sri Lanka to 90/5. However, Dinusha and Dickwella had other ideas. The pair put together a 146-run stand for the sixth wicket, using sweeps and slog-sweeps effectively against India’s spinners and taking the sting out of the attack as the ball became older and softer.
Dinusha completed his maiden Test century, making 100 off 168 balls with four fours and two sixes. Playing only his fourth Test, the left-hander showed considerable composure after Sri Lanka were reduced to 90/5 and played a major role in helping the hosts avoid the follow-on.
Dickwella, meanwhile, made 80 off 115 balls, with seven fours, but missed out on a maiden Test hundred. His dismissal also kept alive his unwanted record of having the most Test half-centuries without converting one into a century. Prasidh Krishna produced a superb delivery with the 62-over-old ball to end his resistance.
The weather stayed away for most of the day, allowing India to make significant inroads into the Sri Lankan batting line-up. But rain returned late in the day and eventually forced an early close, with 13 overs lost.
India’s innings lasted only four balls on Monday morning. Asitha Fernando removed Prasidh Krishna to bring India’s first innings to an end at 462. What followed was a superb opening session from India, with the visitors quickly putting Sri Lanka under pressure.
SUTHAR LEADS INDIA’S SPIN ASSAULT
Mohammed Siraj set the tone by removing Nishan Fernando with his second delivery of the innings, but Manav Suthar became the defining bowler of the morning.
The left-arm spinner struck with his first delivery and continued to trouble the Sri Lankan batters with turn and bounce. He then removed Lahiru Udara, while Kuldeep Yadav accounted for Kamindu Mendis, with Shubman Gill producing an excellent catch to complete the dismissal.
Jadeja then removed Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva before lunch, leaving the hosts in deep trouble.
India’s ability to attack with three different types of spin made life difficult for Sri Lanka. Suthar’s accuracy and release point close to the stumps, Kuldeep’s wrist-spin and Jadeja’s control gave the hosts little room to settle.
At 90/5, Sri Lanka were staring at a potentially damaging first-innings deficit and India had a genuine chance of enforcing the follow-on.
That was when Dickwella and Dinusha changed the course of the innings.
DICKWELLA AND DINUSHA CHANGE THE EQUATION
The two left-handers were prepared to take the attack to the Indian spinners rather than simply look to survive. They repeatedly used the sweep and slog-sweep, forcing India to push fielders back and allowing the partnership to grow.
Dickwella brought up his 23rd Test fifty, while Dinusha also reached his second half-century. India tried to break the partnership with reviews, but the decisions did not go their way.
An appeal against Dinusha was reviewed after India suspected there may have been bat involved, but replays showed no contact. Another LBW review against Dickwella stayed with the umpire’s call as the impact was outside off stump.
Jadeja later reviewed an LBW appeal against Dinusha, but ball-tracking showed the delivery would have bounced over leg stump.
By tea, Sri Lanka had moved to 214/5, with Dickwella unbeaten on 71 and Dinusha on 62. India had gone wicketless through the middle session and the hosts had completely changed the complexion of the innings.
India eventually broke the stand when Krishna removed Dickwella for 80 with a superb delivery from the older ball.
JADEJA JOINS ELITE 350-WICKET CLUB
Ravindra Jadeja entered an elite club in Test cricket, becoming only the second Indian after Kapil Dev to score more than 4,000 runs and take at least 350 wickets. He also became the fifth Indian to reach 350 Test wickets after Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh.
Jadeja’s 350th wicket came when Keshara Nuwantha miscued an away-turning delivery and Shubman Gill completed a simple catch. He started the Test with 4,095 runs and 348 wickets and needed only two wickets to reach the landmark.
Jadeja now joins Kapil, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori in the exclusive 4,000-run, 350-wicket club in Test cricket.
Dinusha carried on, reaching his maiden Test hundred to keep Sri Lanka’s hopes of avoiding a heavy first-innings deficit alive. But Jadeja soon removed him for 100, ending a fine resistance, before Suthar completed his four-wicket haul as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 284.
India secured a 178-run first-innings lead, but the late wickets came at the cost of valuable time.
Just when India would have hoped to make further inroads into the match, the weather intervened again. It grew increasingly dark in Galle, with rain clouds gathering over the ground and the covers coming on.
The umpires eventually called stumps, bringing an early end to Day 3. India lost 13 overs on the day, leaving a possible 176 overs remaining in the Test.
India now have a commanding first-innings lead, but time remains their biggest concern. If the weather stays clear and the visitors get off to a strong start on Day 4, a declaration could well be on the cards as India look to push for a result in a Test already heavily affected by rain.
– Ends
