When positivity became India’s winning weapon in Galle

By K.R. Nayar 

A positive result in favour of India in the first Test of the series against Sri Lanka is a big boost to the team’s confidence and belief. Though every player chipped in to ensure the impressive 165-run win at the Galle International Stadium, Devdutt Padikkal’s knocks of 167 and 44 in both innings and Manav Suthar’s outstanding bowling figures of 4 for 76 and 6 for 55, for a match haul of 10 for 131, stood out. Their performances have injected a powerful dose of positivity into the team, which may now help them dazzle in the second Test of the series too.

India had to overcome stiff resistance from Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha (100 and 84), Niroshan Dickwella (80) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (84), and, above all, intermittent rain interruptions across multiple days. The weather repeatedly stole precious playing time and pushed India into a tense race against the clock to force a result.  Negative thoughts would have derailed all their plans.

Suthar bowled with skill, but more importantly, he bowled with an intelligent plan. He did a Narendra Hirwani by producing a six-wicket haul in each of his first two Test matches. It was interesting to closely examine the bowling skills of Suthar, who could have a long career ahead as India’s strike bowler. Though only 24 years old, he is a thinking bowler who bowls with his brain. A thinking spinner is always a dangerous spinner and can become a match-winner.

Suthar bowled a line slightly wider outside the off-stump to exploit Galle’s extra bounce. He was seen adjusting the seam to deceive the batters. Along with that, he altered his wrist position and bowled variations slightly faster through the air. He admitted that he had learned a lot by watching his senior teammate Ravindra Jadeja’s tricks. That is another sign of a positive cricketer—the willingness to learn, observe and improve.

Padikkal, who won the Man of the Match award, added runs when India needed them the most. He did not merely score runs, but he actually crafted the victory. He changed the mood of the match in both innings. Runs scored at the right moment creates victories.

India never let themselves panic when partnerships were being built by the Sri Lankan batters. Instead, they did what was needed to win, responding to the pressure with patience and no doubts. As a winning team, its players must exhibit the skill to absorb pressure, which is inevitable in Test cricket. 

It was the positive approach that helped India overcome the challenge posed by the weather as well. Intermittent showers repeatedly disrupted the rhythm of the match and threatened to reduce the available time. Yet India remained focused on forcing a result and preventing frustration from taking over. Rain interruptions never washed away India’s belief.

Interestingly, it was not a one-man show that led the team to victory.  K.L. Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant chipped in with useful knocks, and Jadeja and Prasidh Krishna got timely wickets.

The determination to win the match was evident throughout. They kept searching for wickets with positivity, pushing for victory despite the loss of playing time. The aim was to finish the job. This was what led to the building of a commanding first-innings lead. Indian bowlers struck at regular intervals, preventing the Sri Lankans from taking over on their own home ground. It was remarkable to watch India getting the upper hand session by session.

In Test cricket, only when talent walks hand in hand with belief and positivity does the road to victory become shorter. This is what ensured India a win in its historic 600th Test match too and helped it take a 1-0 lead. This win could also be the foundation for something much bigger in the series.