Galle Test, Day 4: Rishabh Pant's sixes milestone and Suthar's magic put India on brink of victory
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Galle Test, Day 4: Rishabh Pant's sixes milestone and Suthar's magic put India on brink of victory")
Galle Test, Day 4 Pant's sixes record, Suthar's magic inch India close to win Photograph: (AFP)
Rishabh Pant broke Adam Gilchrist's record to become the fastest to 100 Test sixes before Manav Suthar put India on the brink of victory on Day 4 of the Galle Test.
India has inched closer to victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, with the visitors needing just six wickets to land an early punch in this two-match series. Rishabh Pant’s record-breaking 66 in the second innings set the tone, while two wickets for Manav Suthar in Sri Lanka’s daunting 372-run chase have reduced the hosts to 84 for four at stumps on day four. The left-arm spinner rattled Sri Lanka’s top order, leaving Sonal Dinusha, captain Dhananjaya de Silva and the tail with 288 runs to win the match.
Earlier, India was bowled out for 193 at tea after Rishabh Pant became the first player from India to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. Pant, who also began his Test career with a second-ball six, is now the quickest to achieve this feat. He surpassed former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist in terms of innings and balls faced. While Pant took 89 innings to complete 100 sixes in the red-ball format, Gilchrist, who was the first to unlock this milestone, completed 100 Test sixes in his 130th innings.
Sri Lanka slipped to 47-4 before skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, unbeaten on 31, and Sonal Dinusha, 25 not out, put on a stubborn stand to steer their team to stumps.
"In Galle, if you look at the history, spin plays a big part in the last couple of days, and batting gets tough," said Sri Lanka's pace bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk. "As a bowling group we have tried to improve and continue to find ways to get wickets. A team like India will continue to take the initiative."
Sri Lankan opener Nishan Madushka was the first to depart in the chase, top-edging a hook off Mohammed Siraj straight to fine leg to be dismissed for six. Pasindu Sooriyabandara, debuting as a concussion substitute for veteran Dinesh Chandimal, who hurt himself while fielding, was trapped LBW by Suthar for a golden duck.
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"The wicket was playing well," said Suthar. "Even when we were bowling in the second innings, we were getting only a little turn. Maybe tomorrow there will be more turn."
Indian seamer Prasidh Krishna then had Kamindu Mendis caught at the first slip for two.
Soon after, De Silva survived being caught at slip off a no-ball by Ravindra Jadeja when he was on seven. But Lahiru Udara fell to Suthar after close-in fielder Dhruv Jurel completed a low catch, which the TV umpire gave out after several replays. The Sri Lankan camp was, however, disappointed with the decision, as the ball looked to have hit the turf before settling into Jurel's hands.
Meanwhile, De Silva and first-innings centurion Dinusha took Sri Lanka to safety without further drama, but the hosts have more than 90 overs ahead of them to draw or win the match.
(With inputs from AFP)
