The second Test of the series will be played at SSC Colombo from August 23.
After winning the toss, India scored 462 runs in their opening innings, with Devdutt Padikkal scoring 167, KL Rahul scoring 82, and Dhruv Jurel scoring 51. Sonal Dinusha scored 100, and Niroshan Dickwella scored 80 as Sri Lanka responded with 284 runs. Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets for India, while Manav Suthar claimed four.
India then posted 193 runs in the second innings, with Rishabh Pant making 66 runs, and set a target of 372 runs for Sri Lanka.
Despite losing four early wickets, Dhananjaya de Silva (59) and Sonal Dinusha (84) resisted a bit, but Sri Lanka was bowled out for 206 runs. Mana Suthar picked 6/55 and also completed his ten-wicket haul in the Test. India won the game by 165 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.
This was India’s 600th Test match, and Shubman Gill called a victory in this milestone match a special one. He added that he was happy with how the team responded to the pressure of winning the match, with weather expected to play a role.
“Yes, special indeed. A very satisfying win for us. I think we were in a comfortable position. But to be able to come here, not sure if the match is going to go because of the weather, we were put under a bit of pressure. But I think the team responded really well.
Honestly, not really (on the batting collapse in the second innings). We were wanting to get around 400 in the third innings that we were batting. The wicket wasn't easy to score runs at. And we were looking to play a little bit more aggressively in the third innings because we wanted that many overs (in the final innings), and we were not sure how many overs we'd be able to bowl on days 4 and 5. So, that was the thought process. And in that process, we lost some early wickets. But I think overall we were still in a comfortable position,” Shubman Gill said in the post-match presentation.
He had special praise reserved for batter Devdutt Padikkal and spinner Manav Suthar. Padikkal made 167 and 44 in the two innings, winning the Player of the Match award. Suthar, on the other hand, picked his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests, including 6/55 in the second innings.
“He's been bowling magnificently, even in the first match that he played in India (vs. Afghanistan) and in this match. He looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a very long time.
Padikkal was magnificent to watch. It's important to get hundreds, but even after getting a hundred, how he carried on and got a big one for us—that's the difference between being in a competitive match and being in a comfortable position. And his knock in the second innings as well, the way he played and the way he dominated the spinners was a treat to watch,” Gill added.
Gill also called the win an important one in the context of WTC final qualification and said, "Definitely that is the ultimate goal, why we are playing. And Test wins don't come easy, and this one is very delightful.”
The second and final Test of the series will be played at the SSC Ground in Colombo from August 23 onwards.
(PTI inputs)