India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle to revive WTC Final bid
India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the opening Test at Galle on August 19, 2026, renewing their charge for the World Test Championship final. Ravindra Jadeja (1/71) provided the decisive breakthrough on Day 5 after Sri Lanka had largely neutralised India’s spin attack during the morning session.
India arrived in Sri Lanka under scrutiny over their ability to play and bowl spin after home defeats to New Zealand and South Africa in consecutive years. The Shubman Gill-led side set Sri Lanka a target of 372 and began Day 5 needing six wickets to secure the win. Rain threatened play, increasing the urgency for quick wickets in the morning session.
Sri Lanka’s resistance in the early hours of the final day was built around captain Dhananjaya de Silva and all-rounder Sonal Dinusha, who blocked and defended with patience while finding scoring opportunities—de Silva striking Jadeja for boundaries and Dinusha employing the sweep to keep the spinners at bay. With little change from conventional lines producing results, India head coach Gautam Gambhir intervened, repositioning Jadeja and altering his angles before sending the left-armer back on to bowl.
Jadeja’s renewed spell unsettled de Silva, who top-edged a paddle sweep to provide the first wicket of the day and end a 95-run stand between the captain and the bowling all-rounder. India pushed on and removed Niroshan Dickwella just before the lunch interval.
Dickwella, recalled to the side, had been expected to extend the partnership but was provoked by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s encouragement to go for six; attempting to attack Prasidh Krishna, Dickwella edged a cut to the wicketkeeper. That wicket followed his 146-run first-innings partnership with Dinusha and proved valuable for India’s momentum.
Sonal Dinusha’s defiant innings of 84 from 128 deliveries ended in the 76th over after lunch when Manav Suthar, bowling left-arm spin from around the wicket, had him caught at leg slip. Dinusha finished the match with a total of 184 runs across both innings in the Galle Test.
Suthar then removed Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara in the same over—Prabath clean bowled and Lahiru caught behind, with no review taken—completing his fifth wicket of the innings and recording his second five-wicket haul in two Test matches. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 206 in the second session of the final day.
The result renewed India’s charge for the World Test Championship final and saw them begin their two-Test series in Sri Lanka in style.
