Jadeja no-ball wipes out Dhananjaya de Silva dismissal, Gambhir left frustrated in Galle Test

Ravindra Jadeja’s overstep on Day 4 of the Galle Test denied India a wicket when his delivery to Dhananjaya de Silva carried to first slip but was overturned as a no-ball, leaving India head coach Gautam Gambhir visibly frustrated.

The incident occurred as India pressed for a finish against Sri Lanka during the fourth day of the Test; Jadeja’s ball turned sharply, took an edge and was caught by KL Rahul before the umpire ruled the bowler had overstepped. Jadeja had already contributed three wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings and reached 350 international wickets during the match.

The delivery appeared to beat Dhananjaya with its late turn and flight, and the initial on-field celebration ended when the no-ball call nullified the dismissal and Dhananjaya remained at the crease. Jadeja’s overstep therefore removed what would have been an important breakthrough for India late on Day 4.

Gautam Gambhir’s visible frustration followed a broader stance he has taken on no-balls; in 2023 he criticised Arshdeep Singh after the pacer bowled three consecutive no-balls against Sri Lanka, arguing that such mistakes could not be accepted at international level. The reversal on Jadeja’s appeal came as India were closing in on victory, which likely amplified the coach’s reaction.

The no-ball also forms part of a longer statistical pattern for Jadeja: since 2021 he has bowled 84 no-balls in Test cricket, the most among spinners in that period, with Pakistan’s Noman Ali on 40 and Sri Lanka’s Lasith Embuldeniya on 33. Despite that issue, Jadeja’s earlier wickets and milestone remained significant contributions to India’s position.

India had taken a 178-run first-innings lead and, after being bowled out for 193 in their second innings, set Sri Lanka a target of 372. On Day 4 Sri Lanka lost four wickets before stumps: Mohammed Siraj removed Nishan Madushka; Manav Suthar dismissed concussion substitute Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Lahiru Udara; and Prasidh Krishna accounted for Kamindu Mendis. Sri Lanka closed the day on 84 for four with Dhananjaya unbeaten on 31 and Sonal Dinusha on 25, leaving them 288 runs short with six wickets remaining.

India require six more wickets to win the Test; the Galle surface is offering turn and variable bounce, and India have Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar available to bowl on the final day.