Eight wickets for fast bowlers in a 14-wicket day: Galle Test refuses to follow script | cricket news

TimesofIndia.com in Galle: KL Rahul reluctantly stood his ground after the umpire raised his finger. Prabath Jayasuriya was convinced, the nearby defenders were celebrating, but Devdutt Padikkal, on the non-striker’s side, pressured his senior teammate for a review. The righty aimed for his back leg, but by the time replays confirmed contact with the front pad, they looked like curtains. Then, the seven-letter word ‘missing’ appeared and Rahul gave Padikkal a warm hug.The review and the moment left mixed tastes and contrasting reactions, but with a similar degree of surprise from both the batsman and the Sri Lankan players, which aptly summed up the situation as the focus returned to the live action. The ongoing Galle test has had anything but an expected story. Who would have thought that 14 wickets would fall on the 4th, eight of which would be picked up by the fast bowlers of both sides.Not only that, when India was expected to knock Sri Lanka out of the contest, they did not do so. The hosts’ early collapse set the record straight, but the rearguard’s rescue act changed the mood. And just when India looked the favorites to return to the ‘bat out of play’ narrative, a normal batting performance never allowed the question about the declaration to grow louder as the visitors were bowled out for just 193 in 48.5 overs.

Galle [Sri Lanka]August 18 (ANI): Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando and her teammates celebrate the wicket of India’s Manav Suthar on the fourth day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The sun came out in all its glory on day 4 and clear skies meant we had an extended period of uninterrupted cricket on hand. Quick runs were the need of the hour but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal in just the third delivery of the innings set the tone for the rest. The left-hander chased down an early delivery, Rahul died after a normal delivery, Shubman Gill continued to bat in a very un-Gill manner and barring Devdutt Padikkal and Rishabh Pant, no other Indian batsman showed the stomach to fight. India looked to re-establish control in the Test with quick runs but picked questionable shots in the process.“We had to make sure we put pressure on them again with quick runs to regain control,” said first innings centurion Devdutt Padikkal at the end of the day on Tuesday.The pitch was neither furious nor square, and the conditions were still ideal for batting. However, the lead cushion seemed to allow complacency and carelessness to creep into the second inning. Jaiswal should have done better; Rahul could have opted for a different approach against Prabath Jayasuriya; Gill opted for a shot he doesn’t play often and before long, India had three of the front four with their feet up in the dressing room.

If not for Padikkal’s fluency and Rishabh Pant’s fight, India could have been in a precarious situation as only three batsmen reached double figures. Pant stood out for his bold strokeplay, as he has done on numerous occasions in the past. The players played with his mind by setting different traps, but the left-hander continued to find a way to overcome them, setting limits. He would drop to the ground and play a tennis-like forehand, and on the next ball, he would go deep into his box to play a penalty. He used sweeps and reverse sweeps to full effect, focusing on a single currency: runs. And it doesn’t matter how they got there.

Galle: India’s Rishabh Pant plays a shot on the fourth day of the first cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI08_18_2026_000236B)

Pant is not for the faint-hearted, and neither is his cartwheel, but one constant remains: the ability to dominate difficult situations, even if it keeps everyone on the edge of their seat. He received no support from the other side but fought a lonely battle before the short ball trap finally worked for Sri Lanka, who were tactically precise with their bowling changes and fielding placements.“Yes, he’s great entertainment. I think he’s one of those batsmen that you love to watch every day of the week. And he produces moments like today. He really took the game and put them under a lot of pressure. I think that’s the ability he has. He can win games on his own. And when something like that happens, I think it’s always great to see. And I think everyone is very happy to have a player like him in our side,” Padikkal added.

I think initially he was probably spinning from the fourth stump and now he is starting to spin from the stumps as well.

Devdutt Padikkal

Pant was fearless but the hosts came prepared with different plans for each batsman. They used their seamers Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara very smartly, and the pair returned with a collective six wickets. The last instance of the seamers together picking five or more wickets at this venue was in 2016, when Mitchell Starc took six and Josh Hazlewood took one.

Galle [Sri Lanka]August 18 (ANI): Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara celebrates the wicket of India’s Rishabh Pant on the fourth day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

“To be honest, we didn’t really expect the fast bowlers to pick all those wickets. I think that dropped today. But at the same time, the credit goes to the fast players. They really put in a lot of effort. They cast some good spells and really did a good job. But at the end of the day, I think the goal that you’re hoping for from day three onwards for the game to speed up a little bit, I think it’s definitely changed a little bit more.“Especially today, he started turning from the stumps a little bit more. I think initially, he was probably turning from the fourth stump and now he’s starting to turn from the stumps as well. For us as a team, trying to get 10 wickets is a very good sign. Hopefully tomorrow the situation will continue to get a little worse,” Padikkal explained.

Asitha Fernando has been doing a great job for us and Lahiru Kumara opened the game with that spell that brought so much energy.

Ryan van Niekerk | Sri Lankan bowling coach

Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk praised the pair of Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara for bringing the hosts back into the game from a challenging position, stating that being proactive helped them find answers.

Galle [Sri Lanka]August 18 (ANI): Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara and his teammates celebrate the wicket of India’s Rishabh Pant on the fourth day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

“There have been ups and downs in this test, but the bowling group has been very proactive. We had plans and credit goes to the players for executing them. “Asitha has been doing a great job for us and Lahiru opened the game with that spell that brought so much energy,” Ryan said.“Historically, we know that a lot of wickets fall in Galle from the 4th onwards, so that didn’t surprise me,” he added.The start of the mammoth 372-run chase was not ideal for Sri Lanka as they lost four quick wickets and faced the heat in the final session of the day. India got their tactics right and the strategy of hunting in pairs with spin and pace worked. Mohammed Siraj and Manav Suthar got the ball rolling, and Prasidh Krishna and Ravindra Jadeja kept up the pressure as the first-change pair. While Suthar continued to get plenty of innings, Prasidh bowled with plenty of heat in the dim light to keep the hosts in check.

Galle: India’s Manav Suthar, third right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Udara on the fourth day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI08_18_2026_000431B)

It will take a special effort for Sri Lanka to score 288 runs on the final day, and it is now up to the Indian bowlers to take the remaining six wickets to not only conquer the Galle challenge but also leave a satisfying taste in their mouths as they leave the coastal city. The script, like the weather, has been anything but predictable, but India wouldn’t mind taking advantage of the ebbs and flows one last time.Short scoresIndia: 462 and 193 (Rishabh Pant 62, Devdutt Padikkal 44; Asitha Fernando 4/31, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/43, Lahiru Kumara 2/28)Sri Lanka: 284 and 84/4 (Dhananjaya de Silva batting 31, Sonal Dinusha batting 25; Manav Suthar 2/30, Mohammed Siraj 1/11)