{"id":258514,"date":"2026-08-18T15:55:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T15:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/18\/rishabh-pant-rescues-india-manav-suthar-puts-sri-lanka-on-brink-of-galle-test-defeat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T15:55:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T15:55:45","slug":"rishabh-pant-rescues-india-manav-suthar-puts-sri-lanka-on-brink-of-galle-test-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/18\/rishabh-pant-rescues-india-manav-suthar-puts-sri-lanka-on-brink-of-galle-test-defeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Rishabh Pant Rescues India, Manav Suthar Puts Sri Lanka on Brink of Galle Test Defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 <strong>Rishabh Pant\u2019s 66<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And once again, Pant was the man who came to India\u2019s rescue.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--first\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019s big names had already returned to the pavilion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This wasn\u2019t a flat deck where a batter could simply play through the line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India needed someone who could change the pressure of the game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That man was Rishabh Pant.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rishabh Pant\u2019s 66 Changed the Situation Completely<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pant played a superb innings of <strong>66 from 69 balls<\/strong>, hitting six fours and two sixes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India eventually reached 193 in their second innings and set Sri Lanka a massive target of 372.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remove Pant\u2019s 66 from that innings and just imagine India\u2019s position.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sri Lanka could have been looking at a much smaller target, and that would have completely changed their mindset going into the chase.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly why Pant is so valuable in Test cricket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There has been plenty of discussion around his shot selection and his position in the Test side. Dhruv Jurel\u2019s emergence has also created competition for the wicketkeeper-batter\u2019s spot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But innings like this are reminders of what Pant offers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When batting becomes difficult, he doesn\u2019t simply try to survive. He puts the pressure back on the opposition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His 66 did exactly that in Galle.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pant\u2019s Innings Took the Game Away From Sri Lanka<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India had a first-innings lead of 178 runs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After being bowled out for 193 in the second innings, that advantage became a target of <strong>372 for Sri Lanka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is a completely different psychological situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had the target remained somewhere around 280 or 300, Sri Lanka could perhaps have started their innings thinking about a chase.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At 372 on a deteriorating Galle surface, their first priority was always going to be survival.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And once a batting side goes into a defensive mindset on a turning track, the bowlers can keep attacking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly what happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sri Lanka finished Day 4 at <strong>84\/4<\/strong>, still requiring another <strong>288 runs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India need only six wickets on the final day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pant\u2019s innings played a huge role in creating that situation.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manav Suthar Has Been Brilliant in Galle<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now let\u2019s talk about another player who deserves huge credit \u2014 <strong>Manav Suthar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The more turn there is in the surface, the more dangerous Suthar becomes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is not exactly the same kind of bowler as Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja\u2019s biggest strength is his ability to repeatedly hit a tight line and length at pace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suthar can extract considerable turn from the surface, and on a pitch like Galle, that makes him extremely difficult to handle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He had already shown his ability against Afghanistan, and in the first innings against Sri Lanka he was once again impressive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suthar finished with <strong>4\/76 in 21.4 overs<\/strong> as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 284.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then he came back in the second innings and struck twice again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By stumps, his figures were <strong>2\/30<\/strong>, taking his match tally to six wickets with an entire day still remaining.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--middle\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the surface turns even more on Day 5, don\u2019t be surprised if Suthar adds several more wickets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has the conditions to do it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sri Lanka 84\/4 and Under Huge Pressure<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sri Lanka\u2019s situation is now extremely difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They ended the fourth day on 84\/4 while chasing 372.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dhananjaya de Silva was unbeaten on <strong>31<\/strong>, while first-innings centurion Sonal Dinusha was batting on <strong>25<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was also some luck involved for Dhananjaya.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ravindra Jadeja appeared to have dismissed him, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That gave Sri Lanka\u2019s captain another opportunity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, had suffered a shoulder and neck injury while fielding earlier in the day and was taken to hospital for precautionary scans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pasindu Sooriyabandara came in as his concussion substitute but was dismissed first ball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sri Lanka now need 288 more runs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technically, the chase is still alive. But scoring another 288 on the final day at Galle against India\u2019s attack will be extremely difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their realistic aim will be to somehow bat through the day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India, on the other hand, need only six good deliveries.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Siraj and Prasidh Krishna Also Getting Wickets Is a Big Positive<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another positive for India was that it wasn\u2019t only the spinners who created problems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also got among the wickets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is important because when the surface is offering turn, everyone expects Jadeja and Suthar to do most of the damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if the fast bowlers are also taking wickets, the batting side doesn\u2019t really get an easy period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India can attack from both ends.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is one of the biggest reasons why the match is now heavily in India\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Three Indian Batters Made Life Difficult<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now let\u2019s talk about the three batters whose failures put India under unnecessary pressure in the second innings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, <strong>Yashasvi Jaiswal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is becoming one area he needs to work on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is undoubtedly one of India\u2019s brightest batting prospects. When he gets going, he has the ability to play long innings and completely dominate attacks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the frequency of low scores and ducks is something to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was his <strong>sixth duck in Test cricket<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a player of his quality, finding a way to survive those opening spells consistently will be important.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then comes captain <strong>Shubman Gill<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gill scored only <strong>8 from 20 balls<\/strong> in the second innings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India needed their captain to provide some stability, but he couldn\u2019t stay there for long.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the third batter was <strong>Dhruv Jurel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jurel had played a useful innings of 51 in the first innings, but this time he could manage only <strong>7 from 15 balls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These quick wickets created the situation where India suddenly found themselves under pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that is where Pant took control.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">DAY 4 STUMPS: Sri Lanka 84\/4 (34 Ov) \u23f3<\/p>\n<p>Sri Lanka need 288 more runs, while Team India need 6 wickets to seal a memorable win on the final day \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcf7: SonyLiv <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cRLbvMLv7A\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/cRLbvMLv7A<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CricInformer (@CricInformer) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CricInformer\/status\/2089694754460282965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">August 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--end\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/rishabh-pant-66-manav-suthar-india-sri-lanka-galle-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":258515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6803],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-258514","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}