India marked its landmark 600th Test with a victory over Sri Lanka in Galle, powered by Devdutt Padikkal's 167 and Manav Suthar's 10-wicket match haul, though no-balls and average batting returns pose lingering concerns.
Team India celebrated its landmark 600th Test match with a decisive victory over Sri Lanka in Galle, giving captain Shubman Gill's side an ideal start to their tour despite challenging weather and pitch conditions. India took control of the contest early on by building a total of 462 in their first innings.
Devdutt Padikkal headlined the first-innings batting display with a standout 167, combining with K.L. Rahul to construct a formidable foundation. India's batting was further bolstered by robust contributions from Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant, with Pant delivering a match-altering blinder in the second innings alongside Padikkal's handy 44.
With the ball, Rajasthan left-arm spinner Manav Suthar starred for the visitors, taking a match haul of ten wickets to derail the Sri Lankan batting lineup. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja claimed his 350th Test wicket, and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna picked up the dismissal of Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella on day five.
Despite the triumph, several areas require attention for Team India. Skipper Gill and opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal endured average returns with the bat—with Jaiswal suffering an unlucky run-out in the first innings—while wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was not at his best.
Over-stepping has also raised concerns within the bowling unit. On the fourth evening, Jadeja induced an edge from Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva, only for the wicket to be overturned due to a no-ball. India will regroup to iron out these glitches when they begin a training stint at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Friday, August 21, 2026.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.