Rishabh Pant, bowlers star as India sniff victory in first Sri Lanka Test

GALLE: Rishabh Pant's gutsy half-century in the second innings, followed by Manav Suthar's twin strike, put India in firm control by the conclusion of the penultimate day of their first Test against Sri Lanka here at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

At the stumps on Day 4, the hosts were reeling at 84/4, needing a further 288 runs, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva and first-innings centurion Sonal Dinusha, unbeaten on 31 and 25, respectively, set to resume their pursuit on the final day.

Set to chase a daunting 372-run target, Sri Lanka got off to a disappointing start as they lost their first four wickets for just 47 runs in 21.4 overs.

Following the slump, Dinusha joined skipper de Silva in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to put together 37 runs for an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership to close out the day.

For India, Suthar has taken two wickets for 30 runs in his 11 overs, while Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj have claimed one apiece in the second innings.

Earlier in the day, India started their second innings with a 178-run advantage in their favour, but could accumulate 193 before getting bowled out in 48.5 overs.

Leading the way for the touring side was wicketkeeper batter Pant, who smashed a brisk half-century and remained their top-scorer with a 69-ball 66, laced with eight fours and two sixes.

Besides him, the top-order duo of Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul made notable contributions to India's second-innings total, making 44 and 35 runs, respectively. They also shared a 65-run partnership for the second wicket.

Asitha Fernando was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka in the second innings as he bagged four wickets for just 31 runs in his 8.5 overs, followed by Prabath Jayasuriya with three, while Lahiru Kumara chipped in with two scalps.