Manav Suthar claims maiden 10-wicket haul as India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle Test

GALLE: All-rounder Manav Suthar produced a match-winning spell as India secured a comprehensive 165-run victory over Sri Lanka on the fifth day of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Chasing 372 for victory on a deteriorating final-day surface, Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 206. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva fought hard with a 151-ball 59, while Sonal Dinusha followed up his first-innings century with an 84.

Sri Lanka sarted the second session of Day 5 at the score of 175/6, with Nuwantha and previous innings’ centurion Sonal Dinusha on the crease. At that juncture, the hosts needed 197 runs to win the opening Test.

Manav Suthar strikes, and Shubman Gill gets it spot on with the review.

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Keshara Nuwantha and Sonal Dinusha added 24 runs in the second session of Day 5 before Suthar wreaked havoc as he grabbed three wickets in the 76th over to reduce Sri Lanka to 199/9. He scalped Sonal Dinusha (84) breaking the 43-run stand between Dinusha and Nuwantha. He then got rid of Prabath Jayasuriya (0) on the very next ball and then finished the over by dismissing Lahiru Kumara (0).

Suthar didn’t stop there as he came back in the very next over to remove Sri Lanka’s last wicket–Keshara Nuwantha (20), to hand India a 165-run win. With Nuwantha’s wicket, Suthar registered six wickets in India’s second bowling innings and completed his maiden 10-wicket haul, in only his second Test.

Earlier, Sri Lanka started the final day on 84/4, with Sonal Dinusha (25*) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (31*) unbeaten. The skipper started on a positive note with a boundary on second ball of the session against Ravindra Jadeja, while spinner and Mohammed Siraj put a lid on scoring, conceding just nine runs in next seven overs.

A clinical victory for #TeamIndia in the Galle Test.

Manav Suthar’s 6 wicket haul in the second innings, guides India to a 165 run win over Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka reached their 100-run mark in 42.3 overs. After reaching the triple figures mark, both the batters starting playing a little more freely, finding boundaries against Jadeja.

Twin fours against Jadeja took Dhananjaya to a half-century in 125 balls, with six fours.In the 51st over, Sonal dispatched a Kuldeep Yadav delivery for a six over deep mid-wicket, bringing his half-century in 77 balls, with five fours and a fifty, after having cracked a century in the first innings. The duo were nearing a century stand.

It was Jadeja who broke the 95-run stand, getting Dhananjaya for 59 in 151 balls, with seven balls. A top-edge while sweeping landed into hands of Manav Suthar at short fine leg. India had Sri Lanka’s half side sent back to pavillion at score of 142 runs.

A brilliant reverse sweep for four by Niroshan Dickwella against Kuldeep brought up SL’s 150-run mark in 57 overs. The Dickwella-Dinusha partnership could not go far this time around as the former feathered an edge to keeper Rishabh Pant. Prasidh Krishna sent him back for 10.

Sri Lanka were 156/6. Dinusha managed to end the session without any further wickets alongside Keshara Nuwantha. Sri Lanka lost four early wickets in the third session on Day 4 while chasing a big target of 372 runs. The centurion of the first innings, Sonal Dinusha, was unbeaten on 25 with the skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (31 not out) with the score at 84/4.

Team India had started the fourth day with a 178 run lead, having bundled out SL for 284 in the first innings, with a four-fer from Manav Suthar. However, SL were more disciplined and clinical in their bowling, with only Rishabh Pant (66 in 69 balls, with eight fours and two sixes), Devdutt Padikkal (44 in 75 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul (35 in 47 balls, with two fours and two sixes) contributing something of note as India were all out for 193 runs, giving SL 372 runs to win. Asitha Fernando (4/31) and Prabath Jayasuriya (3/43) were exceptional with the ball.

During SL’s first innings, they had sunk to 90/5, before a 146-run stand between Niroshan Dickwella (80 in 115 balls, with seven fours) and Dinusha (100 in 168 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) pulled them out of trouble. Suthar’s four-fer and overall exceptional spin bowling from India skittled them out for 284 in reply to India’s first innings total of 464.

After India won and elected to bat first, knocks from Padikkal (167 in 230 balls, with 15 fours and a six), Rahul (82 in 175 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Dhruv Jurel (51 in 68 balls, with four boundaries and a six) helped them reach 464. Prabath (4/109) and Keshara Nuwantha (3/175) were among the top bowlers in the first innings.

Sri Lanka: 284 and 206: Sonal Dinusha 84, Dhananjaya de Silva 59, Manav Suthar 6/55) vs India; 464 and 193: (Rishabh Pant 66, Devdutt Padikkal 44, Asitha Fernando 4/31). (ANI)