Suthar's spin masterclass helps India beat Sri Lanka, and rain, in Galle

Manav Suthar's spin bowling masterclass played a pivotal role in India's 165-run victory against Sri Lanka in the opening Test in Galle. The 24-year-old left-arm spinner claimed six crucial second-innings wickets, setting Sri Lanka a target of 372 runs. India bowled out the hosts for 206 in the final session, minutes before rain intervened at the Galle International Stadium.

Left-arm spinner Suthar's 10-wicket match haul provided India with a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, following their win in India's 600th Test. India's vice-captain KL Rahul expressed relief after the win, stating that the team had been watching the cloud above and wanted to avoid delaying the game due to the imminent rain. Resuming at 84-4, Sri Lanka needed to bat aggressively to save the match, with the weather potentially helping them.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha put up a strong fight, but once de Silva mistimed his sweep shot against Jadeja, India's victory seemed inevitable. Suthar's bowling, though he missed a hat-trick, sent down a three-wicket over to push Sri Lanka towards defeat. De Silva acknowledged his team's efforts, saying that the boys fought hard throughout the match, even in the fourth innings.

Suthar's performance, combined with Devdutt Padikkal's magnificent 167, secured India's first-innings total of 467. The second and final Test is scheduled to begin in Colombo on Sunday.