Sri Lanka came close to creating history in Galle but ultimately suffered a 165-run defeat against India in the opening Test of the two-match series. The hosts entered Day 5 with hopes of chasing down a daunting 372-run target, but India’s spin attack quickly turned the contest in the visitors’ favour. Sri Lanka resumed their fourth innings with a fighting chance after Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha had steadied the chase. However, the hosts lost their final five wickets for just 50 runs as India completed a comprehensive victory.

Young spinner Manav Suthar emerged as the hero with the ball. After taking four wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings, Suthar produced an outstanding six-wicket haul in the second innings to finish with 10 wickets in the match. He sealed India’s victory by dismissing Keshara Nuwantha, Sri Lanka’s final batter. The performance marked a memorable Test for the spinner from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. Suthar consistently troubled the Sri Lankan batters on a surface that increasingly offered assistance to spin as the match progressed.

India had established control from the opening day after captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat. The visitors posted a massive 462 in their first innings, with Devdutt Padikkal producing the standout performance. The left-hander smashed 167, while KL Rahul contributed a crucial 82.

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Sri Lanka responded with 284, with Sonal Dinusha scoring a century and Niroshan Dickwella making 80. Their partnership helped the hosts avoid the follow-on, but India still secured a substantial 178-run first-innings lead. The visitors were then dismissed for 193 in their second innings, setting Sri Lanka a challenging 372-run target. Rishabh Pant led India’s scoring with an aggressive 66, while Padikkal added another valuable 44.

Sri Lanka made a difficult start to the chase but showed considerable resilience on the opening morning of Day 5. Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinusha combined for a 95-run partnership and kept the hosts’ hopes alive. Both batters scored half-centuries and faced more than 200 deliveries together.

However, once Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Dhananjaya for 59, the resistance faded quickly. India’s spinners exploited the conditions and began picking up wickets at regular intervals before Suthar completed the job.

Speaking after the defeat, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva acknowledged that his team had remained competitive for large parts of the Test. He specifically highlighted the pressure created by India’s top-order batters, particularly Rahul and Padikkal. “From the second day, we were in the game. Boys fought hard; it was a good game. It was good to bat on the first three days. The fourth innings won’t be easy, everyone knows that. Rahul and Padikkal put pressure on us,” Dhananjaya said.

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Padikkal’s 167 in the first innings earned him the Player of the Match award, while his second-innings 44 further strengthened his contribution to India’s victory.

When asked whether losing the toss had influenced the result, Dhananjaya de Silva offered a brief response: “Maybe.” With a 1-0 lead, India will now look to carry their momentum into the second Test, while Sri Lanka face the challenge of finding answers to India’s formidable spin attack.