India batter KL Rahul congratulated the quality of the Galle pitch following India’s impressive 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test match. Rahul described the contest as a “great Test match”, stating that the pitch proved beneficial for both batters and bowlers across five days of play.
Indian all-rounder Manav Suthar delivered a remarkable performance, achieving a sensational 10-wicket haul and securing India’s commanding lead in the two-match series. Earlier in the match, Devdutt Padikkal set the tone with a stellar 167, earning the Player of the Match award and establishing India’s dominance on the scoreboard.
After the match, KL Rahul praised the Galle surface, noting that it supported a competitive environment throughout the Test. He pointed out that the pitch assisted spinners while enabling batters to score runs with discipline, exemplified by Sri Lankan player Sonal Dinusha. Dinusha had a noteworthy performance, scoring 100 runs in the first innings and contributing 84 in the second, despite Sri Lanka’s loss.
Rahul remarked on the pitch’s ability to provide a perfect balance of pace and spin, further enhancing the match’s appeal.
“I think it was a great Test match. I think the wicket played really well throughout the five days. There was something in it for spinners, but the batters who applied themselves as well could get some runs. We’ve seen Sonal from the Sri Lankan team, he batted beautifully, had a very clear game plan to feed the spinners and use his feet. People who really committed to their game plan could score runs as well. So that’s what you want to see in Test matches, where fast bowlers pick up wickets too, both for their team and for ours. All in all, it was a great wicket, great Test match,” said KL Rahul.
Notably, the victory came just before heavy rain swept through Galle. Rahul expressed relief at securing the win, especially with rain clouds looming overhead. He explained that the team focused on taking quick wickets, and breaking the key partnership between Keshara Nuwantha and Dinusha boosted their confidence before finishing off Sri Lanka’s tail.
“Just relieved, honestly! We kept looking at the clouds and knew a big shower was coming, so we didn’t want to delay the game. We were trying to get wickets as quickly as we could. They had a decent partnership, and once we broke that, we felt right back in the game. When we got into their tail, we knew we could get wickets quickly. But yeah, we had one eye on the clouds,” he added.
India’s bowling strategy effectively dismissed Sri Lanka for just 206 runs while defending a target of 372. Manav Suthar led the charge with figures of 6/55 in the second innings, marking his maiden 10-wicket haul.
Sri Lanka resumed Day 5 at 84 for 4 wickets, with Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva offering strong resistance. The pair added 95 runs to the score before Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Dhananjaya for 59 runs. Dinusha continued to battle with his own 84, but Suthar then struck three times in the pivotal 76th over, sealing the match after dismissing Nuwantha in the following over.
In the first innings, India posted 464 runs with notable contributions from Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 and KL Rahul’s 82. Sri Lanka, in their reply, managed 284 runs, led by Dinusha’s century. India was later bowled out for 193 runs, setting the hosts a challenging target of 372 runs.
