India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal added some spice to the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka with a playful exchange involving wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday, August 19. The banter came during Sri Lanka’s fourth-innings chase and was followed soon after by Dickwella’s dismissal, further strengthening India’s position in the contest.
Sri Lanka had mounted a strong fightback during the morning session, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha building a crucial partnership. The duo scored half-centuries and briefly raised hopes of an unlikely chase before Ravindra Jadeja broke the stand by dismissing Dhananjaya for 59.
Niroshan Dickwella walked in at No. 7 with Sri Lanka under pressure at 142/5. From his fielding position at square leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal began engaging the left-hander in some light-hearted banter.
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The Indian opener encouraged Niroshan Dickwella to attack and pointed towards the boundary, challenging him to hit a six. “Come on, we need to see some sixes from you!” Yashasvi Jaiswal was heard saying. Dickwella responded with a cheeky reply: “If you take me to the IPL.” Jaiswal quickly answered, “Hit some sixes, then I will.” The exchange continued before Dickwella eventually said, “Yes, I will, sir.”
Jaiswal: “Come on, we need to see some sixes from you!”
Dickwella: “If you take me to the IPL…”
Jaiswal: “Hit some sixes, then I will.”
Next ball: Dickwella OUT!
Jaiswal played mind game very well. pic.twitter.com/XSP4ltdsdb— Kavish (@kavish_tvk) August 19, 2026
However, Niroshan Dickwella could not deliver on the challenge. In the following over, Prasidh Krishna bowled a short delivery outside the leg stump. The Sri Lankan batter attempted to create room and play the ball but only managed a faint edge. The ball travelled through to Rishabh Pant, who completed the catch. Dickwella departed for 10, leaving Sri Lanka six wickets down and India within touching distance of victory.
At lunch on Day 5, Sri Lanka were 175/6, still requiring 197 runs to win, while India needed four more wickets. Dhananjaya and Dinusha had earlier added 95 runs after resuming at 84/4. Dhananjaya reached his fifty from 125 balls, while Dinusha followed with his half-century from 77 deliveries.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal himself had a difficult Test with the bat. He scored 32 in the first innings before being run out following a mix-up with KL Rahul. He then suffered another setback in the second innings, falling for a three-ball duck against Asitha Fernando. Despite his struggles with the bat, Jaiswal remained energetic in the field and his exchange with Niroshan Dickwella provided another entertaining moment in an increasingly tense Galle Test.
