India vs Sri Lanka 1st test: Rishabh Pant powers India close to victory in Galle

When the rub of the green goes your way and decisions that you take pay off instantly, it seems as though you have all the answers. It was that sort of day for India at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. With one day’s play left in the first Test, only significant rain can now prevent India from wrapping up victory and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen, after a first-innings performance that raised hopes, struggled to 84 for 4 in pursuit of 372. The highest successful chase at this ground is 342, by Pakistan in 2022. So, Sri Lanka will need a record-breaking effort, which now looks increasingly unlikely, to get across the line.

But India would have thought they would be made to work harder for success. Nishan Madhushka took on the hook early, with a fielder posted in the deep and even a stutter from Prasidh Krishna could not prevent the loss of an early wicket.


Pasindu Sooriyabandara, handed Test debut midway through the game as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal, who fell heavily on his head while fielding, missed the first ball he faced and Manav Suthar was on target. The ball pitched just in line with the stumps and was straight enough to win an lbw decision on review. When Kamindu Mendis nibbled at Prasidh to present a simple catch to the slip cordon, Sri Lanka were in deep trouble at 21 for 3.

Briefly a fightback was mounted, but a contentious call from third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri ended Lahiru Udara’s resistance. Dhruv Jurel, fielding close in with his knees to the ground at gully, got his fingers under the ball as it died on him but appeared to brush the turf as he completed the catch. The third umpire ruled that the fielder had something under the ball and upheld the catch, leaving Sri Lanka at 47 for 4. They made it to stumps without further loss but still trailed by 288.

When the day began, India would have been thinking of a slightly different script with the bat. The pitch, while lively, was hardly unplayable, and there was an opportunity for the top order to control the flow of the game, to stitch together partnerships and give Shubman Gill the luxury of planning a declaration.

But it did not pan out that way. Yashasvi Jaiswal had yet another blip, shaping for the cut but edging to the keeper for a duck. From here on, India’s batsmen looked to show a bit of initiative, but this was not matched by the best shot selection, and wickets fell at regular intervals.

Rahul (35) had a rush of blood, Gill was trapped in front by Prabhat Jayasuriya, and Devdutt Padikkal (44) missed one from Keshara Nuwantha. Padikkal had done his bit, though, becoming only the third Indian, after Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Manjrekar, to score 200 or more runs in an away Test batting at No. 3. With that, the debate over who should occupy this slot should be well and truly laid to rest.

At 111 for 4, India were not where they would have wanted to be, but fortunately Rishabh Pant once again showed why his place in this team should not come up for discussion as easily as it does. Time and again, in moments of crisis, Pant lifts the team. On the day, he was assured in defence but pulled out the unconventional shot just often enough to ensure that the bowlers could not settle into any kind of rhythm.

When Pant went for the big shot, it came off to the tune of eight fours and two sixes and, in the process, he became the first Indian to register 100 sixes in Test cricket. He was just the fourth player overall, after Adam Gilchrist, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Pant got there off 4918 balls — an incredible 1,660 balls fewer than Gilchrist.

Pant’s knock ensured that India had set a daunting target for Sri Lanka. Critics will point out that India were bowled out for only 193 in their second innings. But when the ball is doing a bit on a wearing pitch, it’s not the time to count the statistics, but rather to get the job done. And that’s exactly what India did.

All that is left now is for the rain to stay away on the final day. If it does, India will have taken the first step towards keeping their hopes of a World Test Championship final appearance alive.