Galle [Sri Lanka], August 19 (ANI): India batter KL Rahul praised the quality of the Galle surface after India secured a 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, describing the contest as a "great Test match" and saying the pitch offered something for both batters and bowlers throughout the five days.
Indian all-rounder Manav Suthar delivered a match-winning performance as India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Playing only his second Test, Suthar claimed a sensational 10-wicket haul. Earlier, Devdutt Padikkal's brilliant 167 played a crucial role in setting up India's dominant position, earning him the Player of the Match award.
After the match, KL Rahul praised the Galle pitch for offering a balanced contest throughout the five days. He said the surface provided assistance to spinners while also allowing disciplined batters to score runs, citing Sonal Dinusha's approach as an example. Dinusha scored 100 in Sri Lanka's first batting innings and contributed with an 84 in the second, despite the loss.
Rahul added that the contribution of both pace and spin made it an ideal Test match.
"I think it was a great Test match. I think the wicket played really well throughout the five days. There was something in it for spinners, but the batters who applied themselves as well could get some runs. And we've seen Sonal from the Sri Lankan team, he batted beautifully, had a very clear game plan to feed the spinners and use his feet. So I think people who really committed to their game plan could score runs as well. So that's what you want to see in Test matches, where fast bowlers pick wickets too, even for their team and for our team. So I think all in all, it was a great wicket, great Test match," KL Rahul said.
Notably, right after India secured the win, it started raining in Galle. KL Rahul said the visitors were relieved to secure the win, especially with rain threatening. He said the Shubman Gill-led side focused on taking quick wickets, and breaking the key partnership of Keshara Nuwantha and Dinusha gave them confidence before wrapping up Sri Lanka's tail.
"Just relieved, honestly! We kept looking at the cloud upstairs and we knew there was one big shower coming, so we didn't want to delay the game. We were trying to get the wickets as quickly as we could. Obviously, they had a decent partnership and once we broke that partnership, we felt like we were right back in the game and we could, once we got into their tail, we knew that we could get the wickets early. But yeah, we had one eye on the clouds," he said.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test after bowling them out for 206 while defending 372. Manav Suthar was the star, taking 6/55 in the second innings to complete his maiden 10-wicket haul in just his second Test.
Sri Lanka resumed Day 5 at 84/4, with Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva mounting a strong resistance. The pair added 95 runs before Jadeja dismissed Dhananjaya for 59. Dinusha continued his fight with 84, but Suthar then struck three times in the 76th over before dismissing Keshara Nuwantha in the following over to seal the win.
Earlier, India posted 464 in their first innings, led by Devdutt Padikkal's 167 and KL Rahul's 82. Sri Lanka replied with 284, with Dinusha scoring 100, before India were bowled out for 193 in the second innings to set the hosts a target of 372. (ANI)
"Great Test match": KL Rahul hails Galle wicket after India's 165-run win over Sri Lanka
