Dickwella, Dinusha unbeaten fifties lift Sri Lanka to 214/5, trail India by 248
Synopsis
Staring down a 363-run deficit at 99/5, Sri Lanka produced one of their most composed sessions in recent Tests — Dickwella, returning after three years, and debutant Dinusha batted 29 unbroken overs to keep the follow-on threat alive. India burned two reviews and dropped a catch. The Galle Test is far from over.
Key Takeaways
Sri Lanka reached 214/5 in 57 overs at tea on Day 3 , trailing India's 462 by 248 runs at the Galle International Stadium .
Niroshan Dickwella (71 not out off 102 balls) and Sonal Dinusha (62 not out off 102 balls) added an unbroken 124 runs for the sixth wicket across 29 overs without losing a wicket.
Dickwella brought up his 23rd Test fifty — his first in four years — off 68 balls ; Dinusha reached his second Test fifty off 93 balls .
India wasted two reviews and KL Rahul dropped a catching chance at slip off Manav Suthar when Dickwella was on 20 .
Sri Lanka need 48 more runs in the evening session to avoid the follow-on.
Manav Suthar leads India's bowling with 2 for 52 ; Devdutt Padikkal's 167 and KL Rahul's 82 had built India's first-innings total.
Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha combined for an unbroken 124-run sixth-wicket stand to haul Sri Lanka to 214/5 in 57 overs at tea on Day 3 of the first Test against India at the Galle International Stadium on Monday, 17 August. The hosts still trail India's first-innings total of 462 by 248 runs, and need 48 more to avoid the follow-on in the evening session.
A Session Sri Lanka Needed
Sri Lanka resumed the second session at a precarious 99/5, staring down the barrel of a crushing deficit. What followed was a masterclass in counter-attacking batting — 29 overs without the loss of a wicket, completely shifting the complexion of the match. Dickwella, playing his first Test in three years, and the composed Dinusha batted through the entire session, denying India any foothold.
Dickwella (71 not out off 102 balls) was the early aggressor, deploying the sweep and reverse-sweep to disrupt India's spin rhythm. Dinusha (62 not out off 102 balls) complemented him with soft-handed defence against the turning ball, interspersed with calculated boundary-hitting.
India's Missed Opportunities
India squandered two reviews and a catching chance in the session. In the 32nd over, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar rapped Dickwella on the pads, but ball-tracking confirmed the impact was outside off stump. Ravindra Jadeja similarly appealed for lbw in the 35th over, only for the tracker to show the ball bouncing over leg stump — costing India their second review.
The most costly moment came when KL Rahul put down a sharp, high edge at slip off Suthar with Dickwella on 20. The wicketkeeper-batter made India pay, going on to bring up his 23rd Test half-century — his first in four years — off 68 balls, flicking Jadeja for a double in the 46th over.
Dinusha's Milestone and the Six That Followed
At the other end, the young Dinusha reached his second Test fifty off 93 balls in the 49th over, sweeping Kuldeep Yadav to deep mid-wicket. He then celebrated by launching Suthar over the deep mid-wicket boundary for a clean six — a statement of intent from a batter still establishing himself at the highest level.
India's Bowling Struggles
Indian captain Shubman Gill rotated his attack diligently, recalling pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for short spells in search of reverse swing. However, the Galle surface offered little to the seamers, and the spin trio of Jadeja, Suthar, and Kuldeep could not prise out a wicket in the session. Suthar remains the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 52.
With the evening session under way, the contest between Sri Lanka's defiance and India's hunt for quick wickets — and ultimately the follow-on — will define the match's next chapter.
Brief Scores: India 462 in 116.4 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82; Prabath Jayasuriya 4-109, Keshara Nuwantha 3-175) lead Sri Lanka 214/5 in 57 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 71 not out, Sonal Dinusha 62 not out; Manav Suthar 2-52, Mohammed Siraj 1-29) by 248 runs.
Point of View
But India's wastefulness is the real story of the session — two burned reviews and a dropped catch off the same batter is the kind of carelessness that can cost a Test. Dickwella's return after three years and Dinusha's composure on a turning Galle surface suggest Sri Lanka's lower-middle order has more spine than their top-order collapse implied. If the hosts avoid the follow-on, India's advantage narrows considerably, and a fourth-innings chase on this surface will be far from straightforward. The session is a reminder that Galle pitches reward patience as much as spin.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current score in the India vs Sri Lanka first Test at Galle?
At tea on Day 3, Sri Lanka are 214/5 in 57 overs , trailing India's first-innings total of 462 by 248 runs . Niroshan Dickwella (71 not out) and Sonal Dinusha (62 not out) are at the crease.
How many runs does Sri Lanka need to avoid the follow-on?
Sri Lanka need 48 more runs in the evening session on Day 3 to avoid the follow-on, having crossed 214 at tea. India's first-innings score of 462 sets the follow-on target at 263.
How did Dickwella and Dinusha rescue Sri Lanka?
The pair came together with Sri Lanka at 99/5 and batted through the entire second session — 29 overs — without losing a wicket, adding 124 unbroken runs for the sixth wicket. Dickwella played aggressively with the sweep shot while Dinusha mixed defence with calculated aggression.
What went wrong for India in the second session at Galle?
India burned both their reviews — one off Manav Suthar and one off Ravindra Jadeja — on lbw appeals against Dickwella that ball-tracking overturned. KL Rahul also dropped a sharp slip catch off Suthar when Dickwella was on 20, granting him a crucial reprieve.
Who were the top scorers for India in their first innings of 462?
Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 167 and KL Rahul contributed 82 . For Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya took 4 for 109 and Keshara Nuwantha claimed 3 for 175 .
