After India got bowled out for 193, the visitors produced an excellent bowling performance to reduce Sri Lanka to four wickets ahead of the fifth day
Published: August 18, 2026, 7:33 PM IST
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India’s Prasidh Krishna bowls during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026(Photo: IANS/Pratik Koli)
Rishabh Pant’s quickfire 66 and a strong bowling effort put India within touching distance of a big win over Sri Lanka as the hosts were reduced to 84 for four at stumps on the fourth day of the first Test in Galle on Tuesday.
India set Sri Lanka a daunting 372-run target after being bowled out for 193 in their second inningsAt the close, Sri Lanka were still 288 runs short of the target, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 31 and Sonal Dinusha, who scored a century in the first innings, on 25.
The task facing Sri Lanka is made even harder by the history of the Galle pitchPakistan’s 344-run chase against Sri Lanka in 2022 remains the highest successful fourth-innings chase at the venueSince 1998, only twice has a team chased more than 200 at Galle.
Sri Lanka’s fourth innings got off to a nervous start after a short rain interruptionMohammed Siraj quickly made the first breakthrough, forcing Nishan Fernando into a mistimed pull that Prasidh Krishna held in the deep.
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Prasidh then struck again to remove Kamindu MendisAfter bowling three deliveries that came into the left-hander, he pushed one away from him and Mendis edged it to KL Rahul at slip.
In between those wickets, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar dismissed Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who had replaced Dinesh Chandimal as a concussion substitute.
Chandimal was forced off after hitting his shoulder and head on the ground while fielding earlier in the dayScans showed no serious injury, but he failed his concussion assessmentSooriyabandara’s Test debut lasted only one delivery as Suthar trapped him lbwThe spinner later added Lahiru Udara to his tally.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s bowlers made good use of the conditions and kept picking up wicketsIndia, however, managed to build enough of a lead thanks to Padikkal and Pant.
Padikkal, who had scored a superb 167 in the first innings, again looked comfortable against the spinnersHe used sweeps and cuts effectively before falling for 44 to Keshara NuwanthaThe off-spinner got one to turn and trap Padikkal in front, and the batter’s review did not change the decision.
Rahul had earlier looked in control and added some aggression to his innings, hitting Prabath Jayasuriya for two sixesHe survived an lbw appeal through DRS on 25 but was eventually dismissed by Jayasuriya after putting on 65 with Padikkal.
Shubman Gill also fell to Jayasuriya, trapped lbw, as India’s batters struggled at times against spin on the worn surface.
Pant then took control of the inningsPlaying in his usual attacking style, he reached his fifty from just 53 balls with a six off Lahiru KumaraHe added 54 with Ravindra Jadeja and also completed 100 sixes in Test cricket, becoming the first Indian batter and the fastest overall to reach the landmark.
Pant’s innings ended when he edged Kumara behind to Niroshan Dickwella, but by then India had built a lead that gave their bowlers plenty to work with.
India lost a few more wickets towards the end of the innings, but the damage had already been doneWith Sri Lanka four down and needing another 288 runs, India will return on Wednesday as firm favourites to seal the Test.
(With PTI inputs)
