India moved closer to victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka after the hosts reached 175/6 at lunch on the fifth and final day at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a daunting 372-run target, Sri Lanka were 197 runs short at the lunch interval, with Sonal Dinusha unbeaten on 65 and Keshara Nuwantha on 8.
India’s bowlers made two crucial breakthroughs during the morning session to strengthen their position and put Sri Lanka under increasing pressure.
Sri Lanka had shown considerable resistance during the opening part of the day’s play, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva playing an important innings.
Dhananjaya scored 59 and shared a 95-run partnership with Sonal Dinusha, helping Sri Lanka keep their hopes of saving the match alive.
However, Ravindra Jadeja eventually ended the partnership by dismissing the Sri Lankan captain, giving India a crucial breakthrough.
The wicket shifted momentum firmly back towards the visitors as Sri Lanka’s chase began to lose stability.
India soon struck again when Niroshan Dickwella was dismissed after playing a risky shot.
The dismissal came after an exchange between Dickwella and India’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, adding further drama to the morning session.
With six wickets down, Sri Lanka now face a difficult task to survive the remaining part of the final day.
Despite losing wickets, Sonal Dinusha continued to resist India’s bowling attack.
His unbeaten 65 has been crucial to Sri Lanka’s effort after they resumed the day 288 runs behind the target.
India will now look to take the remaining four wickets quickly and complete a victory, while Sri Lanka’s immediate priority will be to prolong their resistance and prevent an Indian win.
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| India – 1st innings | 462 all out |
| Sri Lanka – 1st innings | 284 |
| India – 2nd innings | 193 all out |
| Sri Lanka – 2nd innings | 175/6 (67 overs) |
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva 59, Sonal Dinusha 65*
India: Manav Suthar 2/46
