Galle, Aug 2026 : India reached 101/1 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday, recovering smoothly from a bizarre run-out that ended Yashasvi Jaiswal’s promising innings.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first in their 600th Test match, India made a confident start with Jaiswal and KL Rahul putting together 47 runs for the opening wicket. At the lunch interval, Devdutt Padikkal was unbeaten on 35, while Rahul remained not out on 32, with the pair having added 54 runs for the second wicket.
Jaiswal looked in excellent touch during his brief stay at the crease, finding the boundary regularly through elegant flicks, on-drives and cuts whenever Sri Lankan pacers Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara strayed from the ideal length.
Sri Lanka turned to spin in the ninth over, introducing debutant off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha. His first spell, however, was overshadowed by an injury scare involving short-leg fielder Nishan Madushka.
Rahul struck a powerful pull shot that flew directly into Madushka’s helmet at short leg. The fielder was immediately attended to by the medical team and subsequently left the field for further assessment.
India were 47 without loss when an extraordinary sequence of events brought Jaiswal’s innings to an unexpected end in the 11th over.
Rahul drove a flighted delivery from Nuwantha towards mid-on and immediately called for a single. Jaiswal set off from the non-striker’s end but collided with Nuwantha, who had dived in an attempt to stop the ball.
The collision caused Jaiswal to lose his balance and fall to the ground. While Rahul continued running towards the striker’s end, Jaiswal got back up before suddenly turning around. The confusion resulted in both batters finding themselves at the same end.
Rahul managed to ground his bat first, leaving Jaiswal stranded. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella removed the bails, completing the run-out and ending Jaiswal’s innings on 32.
Despite the unfortunate dismissal, India quickly regained control through Padikkal, who came into the Test on the back of an unbeaten 142 in the warm-up match.
The left-hander immediately took the attack to Sri Lanka’s spinners, hitting Nuwantha for a boundary before taking on left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Padikkal launched Jayasuriya over long-on for a six in the 14th over, signalling his intent to keep the scoreboard moving.
Rahul also accelerated after settling in. He stepped down the track to loft Jayasuriya over the bowler’s head for a six and followed it with a well-timed cut past point for four.
The boundary took India to the 100-run mark in the 26th over, further strengthening their position before the lunch interval.
Padikkal and Rahul remained unbeaten at the break, having negotiated the Sri Lankan attack confidently after the early setback. India’s scoring rate also reflected their positive approach on a surface where the visiting side will be keen to build a substantial first-innings total.
Ground staff brought covers onto the field as the lunch break approached, raising concerns that rain could interrupt India’s progress. The match is being played at a significant venue milestone, with this contest marking the 50th Test hosted at Galle.
India will resume after lunch with a strong platform and two well-set batters at the crease. With Rahul and Padikkal showing growing confidence against the Sri Lankan spinners, the visitors will look to convert their promising start into a sizeable first-innings total.
Brief Scores: India 101/1 in 27 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 35 not out, KL Rahul 32 not out) vs Sri Lanka.
