Sports
Sri Lanka staring down the barrel in Galle Test
Rex Clementine in Galle
Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat in the first Test against India after slumping to 84-4 at stumps on day four, chasing a daunting 372 for victory in Galle on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka’s top order, which had flopped in the first innings, failed to make an impact once again as there was little resistance against India’s high-quality attack. Things could have been considerably worse had captain Dhananjaya de Silva not earned a reprieve after being caught behind off a no ball.
Sri Lanka’s batting lacked both discipline and purpose. Nishan Fernando chased a wide delivery from Mohammed Siraj and paid the price, slashing it to deep third man.
Top order batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara endured a baptism of fire in Test cricket. Drafted into the game as a concussion substitute after veteran Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out having hurt himself while fielding, Sooriyabandara was trapped leg before by Manav Suthar off the first ball he faced.
Prasidh Krishna then had Kamindu Mendis caught in the slips before Lahiru Udara departed in controversial circumstances, with the third umpire ruling that close in fielder Dhruv Jurel had completed a low catch cleanly.
De Silva and Sonal Dinusha, the first innings centurion, saw Sri Lanka through to stumps without further damage, but the hosts have a mountain to climb on the final day with the pitch offering increasing assistance to the spinners.
Earlier, India were bowled out for 193 in their second innings, with Rishabh Pant’s typically belligerent half-century providing the fireworks.
The Indian wicketkeeper took the attack to the bowlers with a breathtaking 66 off just 69 deliveries, striking eight fours and two sixes. In the process, he became the first Indian to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket and the fastest player in the world to reach the landmark.
Adam Gilchrist previously held the record, having reached 100 sixes in 130 innings, while Pant needed just 89.
Devdutt Padikkal, who had compiled a magnificent 167 in the first innings, looked assured once again, making 44 after walking out to bat in the opening over following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s third ball duck.
India have struggled to nail down a permanent number three over the last 12 months, but Padikkal, who came into the squad as a late injury replacement, has shown enough in Galle to suggest he could provide the answer.
It was a spirited effort with the ball from Sri Lanka, with seamer Asitha Fernando the pick of the attack, claiming four wickets. But India’s commanding first innings lead of 178 had already given them a substantial cushion and allowed them to set Sri Lanka a formidable fourth innings target.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth broke the stand with Parvez’s wicket and triggered another collapse. Bangladesh went from 50/5 to 72/8 in the space of 18 deliveries, the chase now well beyond their reach. Sri Lanka’s bowling quartet of Ratnayake (2-18), Nuwan Thushara (2-18), Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (2-26), Wanuja Sahan (2-17) did all of the damage as Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 – 63 short of their target.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 165/9 in 20 overs [Sahan Arachchige 33, Ashen Bandara 18, Thjarindu Rathnayake 65; Mahedi Hasan 2-19, Al Islam 1-18, Rishad Hossain 1-46, Saif Hasan 2-28, Mustafizur Rahman 2-43] beat Bangladesh 102/10 in 17.3 overs [Parvez Hossain Emon 20, Towhid Hridoy 11, Yasir Ali 21, Rishad Hossain 10, Nasum Ahmed 26; Nuwan Thushara 2-18, Tharindu Rathnayake 2-18, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-26, SahanArachchige 1-09, Wanuja Sahan 2-17, Dushan Hemantha 1-11] by 63 runs.
[Cricbuzz]
Opening batter Sineth Jayawardena has charged into the Sri Lanka T20I squad for the series against Pakistan, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has claimed the legspinner’s spot in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga. Seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickremesinghe has also been named, as has batter Sahan Arachchige, while seamer Binura Fernando makes a return.
Omitted from the squad were the likes of batter Charith Asalanka, fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake, and batting allrounder Janith Liyanage.
Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was named in the squad, but his participation is subject to fitness.
Jayawardena, 21, has got his call-up because of an outstanding recent run in domestic T20s. In the past month, he has struck 101 off 52 and 82 off 32 for Tamil Union Cricket Club in the club T20 competition. He has played a single T20I, at the ongoing Asiad, but otherwise has never been part of a full-strength Sri Lanka side.
Others, such as Wickramasinghe, Arachchige, and Viyaskanth have earned their call-ups through years of performance at domestic level. Each of these players has appeared in T20 internationals for Sri Lanka before, but with the national team having had little success in this format in 2026, this inclusion represents their best chance yet to embed themselves within the side.
The three T20Is, which are all set to be played in Rawalpindi, will begin on October 9.
Sri Lanka squad :
Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt.), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness)
At the end of a wretched week in Nisshin, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have something real to play for: an Asian Games bronze.
Both teams have a point to prove. Bangladesh recovered well from a poor start in their semi-final against Pakistan, thanks to Towhid Hridoy’s efforts with the bat, but their bowlers couldn’t defend 111 in a 13-overs-a-side game, and Mustafizur Rahman was taken to the cleaners in one of his rare poor outings in T20Is.
But at least they ran Pakistan close. In the other semi-final, India ran riot over Sri Lanka, bowling them out for 45. Sri Lanka had a second-string side on the field, but they wouldn’t have bargained for the basic mistakes they made, like the three run-outs in their innings.
Bangladesh, who can call on most of their first-choice players, start the third-place match as clear favourites, but the testing conditions at Nisshin can even up contests that look one-sided on paper. And both teams will have the motivation of bringing joy to contingents that have endured mostly barren Asian Games campaigns.
After a run-less Australia tour where Litton Das made three ducks in a row in the Test series, he was out for 2 against Pakistan. Litton faced just three balls, off which he attempted two reverse-sweeps, the second of them costing him his wicket. It was a perplexing innings on a pitch that offered a lot of turn and awkward bounce. Sometimes it’s hard to say if a batter is really out of form when he’s made a string of low scores, but Litton, who has led Bangladesh impressively in this format over the last couple of years, will want to break out of this run quickly.
Sahan Arachchige couldn’t quite muster up a captain’s performance against India, especially after his top three batters fell for ducks. He scored 9 before falling to a sweep shot against Axar Patel. He had earlier taken two wickets with his offbreaks. The 30-year-old allrounder now has the chance to put together a better show and inspire his team to the bronze.
Both teams could test their bench strength in the bronze-medal match.
Sri Lanka (probable): Sineth Jayawardena, Lasith Croospulle, Sohan de Livera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Sahan Arachchige (capt), Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando.
Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (capt), Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Towhid Hridoy (c), Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Aliss Al Islam/Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman/Hasan Mahmud.
[Cricinfo]
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