Pant, bowlers place India on verge of big win over Sri Lanka in 1st Test

Backed by Rishabh Pant's quintessential 66, India's bowlers displayed ruthless efficiency to reduce Sri Lanka to 84 for four at stumps on the fourth day as the visitors positioned themselves for a massive victory in the first Test here on Tuesday.

Pant, Devdutt Padikkal (44) and KL Rahul (35) pulled in their combined weight to take India to 193 in their second innings, raising an improbable target of 372 in front of Sri Lanka, who are still 288 runs away from that mark.

For the hosts, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (31) and first innings century-maker Sonal Dinusha (25) were manning the crease at close.

For a better understanding of the huge mountain in front of Sri Lanka, the highest ever successful chase in Test cricket at the Galle stadium is 344 by Pakistan in 2022, and a 200-plus target was surmounted only twice at this venue since 1998.

The weight of that unfavourable history on them was so evident when the Lankans came out to bat in the fourth innings after a brief rain delay.

They looked cagey, and the first wicket did not take too long to come.

Mohammed Siraj hurried Nishan Fernando into a pull, and the latter could not control the shot which was taken in the deep by Prasidh Krishna.

Prasidh himself had a moment of joy soon when he ousted Kamindu Mendis.

After setting Mendis up with three in-coming deliveries, Prasidh served one that went away and the left-hander nibbled it to Rahul in the cordon.

Between those two strikes, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar dislodged Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who came in as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal.

Chandimal sustained an injury while fielding during the first session of the day, hitting his shoulder and head hard on the ground.

Chandimal was cleared of any injury in the subsequent scan, but could not clear the concussion test.

However, that chancy entry into Test cricket lasted just one ball, as Sooriyabandara was trapped leg before by Suthar who later added the wicket of Lahiru Udara to his burgeoning kitty.

Earlier, the Lankan bowlers were suitably rewarded with regular wickets for using the pitch and conditions to good effect.

But Padikkal first and Pant later ensured that there would not be too many jitters in the Indian camp.

Pant twisted, turned, twirled and fell down while executing his shots in typical Pant-style to reach a 53-ball fifty.