Indian bowlers churn wickets, Sri Lanka 363 runs behind after first session

Day three’s first session of the Galle Test turned into a demolition for Sri Lanka as India’s seam attack claimed five scalps for a meagre 99 runs.

The early breakthrough came when Nipun Fernando was dismissed for a duck. Dinesh Chandimal contributed just four runs before falling to medium‑pace bowler Mankad Suthar, who later finished with two wickets for 17 runs.

Lahiru Kumara’s 27 was the highest score at the lunch break, but he too fell to the same bowler.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva, arriving at 59/4, partnered with Sonal Dinusha to add 31 runs. Their stand was short‑lived; Ravindra Jadeja’s outswinger forced the captain into a catch caught by KL Rahul.

By the end of the session, Sri Lanka was 363 runs short of India’s 462‑run first‑innings lead with only five wickets in hand, setting the stage for a possible follow‑on.

Other Indian bowlers who contributed with the ball included Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and again Jadeja, each picking up a wicket. The batting heroics earlier in the match featured Devdutt Padikkal’s superb 167 and KL Rahul’s 82.