India are now just six wickets away from winning the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, but the situation could have been very different without Rishabh Pant’s 66.
Yes, India are in complete control of the Test after Day 4, but there was a stage when three Indian batters had made the situation much more difficult than it needed to be.
And once again, Pant was the man who came to India’s rescue.
India had lost five wickets before reaching 100 in their second innings. The ball was turning, batting was getting increasingly difficult and some of India’s big names had already returned to the pavilion.
This wasn’t a flat deck where a batter could simply play through the line.
India needed someone who could change the pressure of the game.
That man was Rishabh Pant.
Rishabh Pant’s 66 Changed the Situation Completely
Pant played a superb innings of 66 from 69 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes.
India eventually reached 193 in their second innings and set Sri Lanka a massive target of 372.
Remove Pant’s 66 from that innings and just imagine India’s position.
Sri Lanka could have been looking at a much smaller target, and that would have completely changed their mindset going into the chase.
Instead, Pant attacked on a turning surface and pushed India into a position where Sri Lanka had to think about survival before thinking about victory.
That is exactly why Pant is so valuable in Test cricket.
There has been plenty of discussion around his shot selection and his position in the Test side. Dhruv Jurel’s emergence has also created competition for the wicketkeeper-batter’s spot.
But innings like this are reminders of what Pant offers.
When batting becomes difficult, he doesn’t simply try to survive. He puts the pressure back on the opposition.
His 66 did exactly that in Galle.
Pant’s Innings Took the Game Away From Sri Lanka
India had a first-innings lead of 178 runs.
After being bowled out for 193 in the second innings, that advantage became a target of 372 for Sri Lanka.
That is a completely different psychological situation.
Had the target remained somewhere around 280 or 300, Sri Lanka could perhaps have started their innings thinking about a chase.
At 372 on a deteriorating Galle surface, their first priority was always going to be survival.
And once a batting side goes into a defensive mindset on a turning track, the bowlers can keep attacking.
That is exactly what happened.
Sri Lanka finished Day 4 at 84/4, still requiring another 288 runs.
India need only six wickets on the final day.
Pant’s innings played a huge role in creating that situation.
Manav Suthar Has Been Brilliant in Galle
Now let’s talk about another player who deserves huge credit — Manav Suthar.
The more turn there is in the surface, the more dangerous Suthar becomes.
He is not exactly the same kind of bowler as Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja’s biggest strength is his ability to repeatedly hit a tight line and length at pace.
Suthar can extract considerable turn from the surface, and on a pitch like Galle, that makes him extremely difficult to handle.
He had already shown his ability against Afghanistan, and in the first innings against Sri Lanka he was once again impressive.
Suthar finished with 4/76 in 21.4 overs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 284.
Then he came back in the second innings and struck twice again.
By stumps, his figures were 2/30, taking his match tally to six wickets with an entire day still remaining.
If the surface turns even more on Day 5, don’t be surprised if Suthar adds several more wickets.
He has the conditions to do it.
Sri Lanka 84/4 and Under Huge Pressure
Sri Lanka’s situation is now extremely difficult.
They ended the fourth day on 84/4 while chasing 372.
Dhananjaya de Silva was unbeaten on 31, while first-innings centurion Sonal Dinusha was batting on 25.
There was also some luck involved for Dhananjaya.
Ravindra Jadeja appeared to have dismissed him, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball.
That gave Sri Lanka’s captain another opportunity.
Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, had suffered a shoulder and neck injury while fielding earlier in the day and was taken to hospital for precautionary scans.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara came in as his concussion substitute but was dismissed first ball.
Sri Lanka now need 288 more runs.
Technically, the chase is still alive. But scoring another 288 on the final day at Galle against India’s attack will be extremely difficult.
Their realistic aim will be to somehow bat through the day.
India, on the other hand, need only six good deliveries.
Siraj and Prasidh Krishna Also Getting Wickets Is a Big Positive
Another positive for India was that it wasn’t only the spinners who created problems.
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also got among the wickets.
That is important because when the surface is offering turn, everyone expects Jadeja and Suthar to do most of the damage.
But if the fast bowlers are also taking wickets, the batting side doesn’t really get an easy period.
India can attack from both ends.
That is one of the biggest reasons why the match is now heavily in India’s favour.
Three Indian Batters Made Life Difficult
Now let’s talk about the three batters whose failures put India under unnecessary pressure in the second innings.
First, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck.
This is becoming one area he needs to work on.
He is undoubtedly one of India’s brightest batting prospects. When he gets going, he has the ability to play long innings and completely dominate attacks.
But the frequency of low scores and ducks is something to keep an eye on.
This was his sixth duck in Test cricket
For a player of his quality, finding a way to survive those opening spells consistently will be important.
Then comes captain Shubman Gill.
Gill scored only 8 from 20 balls in the second innings.
India needed their captain to provide some stability, but he couldn’t stay there for long.
And the third batter was Dhruv Jurel.
Jurel had played a useful innings of 51 in the first innings, but this time he could manage only 7 from 15 balls.
These quick wickets created the situation where India suddenly found themselves under pressure.
And that is where Pant took control.
DAY 4 STUMPS: Sri Lanka 84/4 (34 Ov) ⏳
Sri Lanka need 288 more runs, while Team India need 6 wickets to seal a memorable win on the final day 🇮🇳
📷: SonyLiv pic.twitter.com/cRLbvMLv7A
— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 18, 2026