India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 4: Pant's Fifty Sets Up 372-Run Target

India's second innings folded for 193 on the fourth day in Galle, with only a fighting half-century from Rishabh Pant delaying the inevitable, but it was still enough to leave Sri Lanka needing a daunting 372 runs to win the first Test. The hosts lost early wickets in reply before a recovery through the middle order. Here's how Day 4 unfolded.

India's Second Innings: Steady Start, Middle-Order Collapse

India resumed the day with a 178-run lead and the priority of batting Sri Lanka out of the match, but it did not go entirely to plan. Asitha Fernando struck in the very first over, having Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind by Niroshan Dickwella for a three-ball duck. KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal then steadied the innings with a 65-run stand, Rahul striking Prabath Jayasuriya for six at one point before he was dismissed for 35, holing out to a substitute fielder at the point of impact off the outer half of the bat. Padikkal fell agonisingly short of a second half-century of the match, and India went to lunch on 116/4.

The afternoon session belonged to Sri Lanka's seamers. Asitha Fernando removed Dhruv Jurel for 7 shortly after the break, and from there the Indian innings unravelled steadily rather than collapsing all at once. Rishabh Pant fought hardest of anyone, striking eight fours and two sixes in a 69-ball 66 before Lahiru Kumara had him caught behind by Dickwella attempting a scoop shot that went badly wrong. From 182/7, the tail offered little further resistance, and Asitha Fernando completed a four-wicket haul by dismissing Prasidh Krishna for 2 to end the innings on 193, right at the tea interval.

Asitha Fernando finished with 4/31, the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, with Prabath Jayasuriya taking 3/43 and Lahiru Kumara 2/28 as the hosts made full use of a deteriorating, rain-affected surface to keep India's second-innings total down.

Sri Lanka's Chase Gets Underway

After a brief rain delay held up the start of the final session, Sri Lanka's openers Lahiru Udara and Nishan Madushka walked out to chase a target that no side has come close to in a Galle Test. India took the new ball straight away, and the early breakthroughs followed: concussion substitute Pasindu Sooriyabandara, standing in for the injured Dinesh Chandimal, and Kamindu Mendis, who fell to a wild slash, were both back in the pavilion inside the opening overs, with Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar among the wicket-takers. Udara added 16 before he too was dismissed, caught by Dhruv Jurel at gully off Suthar, leaving Sri Lanka 47/4.

From there, captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha, fresh off his maiden Test century two days earlier, began rebuilding, taking the score past 70 without further loss as the third session wore on. Both remained unbeaten as Sri Lanka looked to survive the rest of Day 4 with early wickets in hand for a final-day push, still needing well over 250 more runs.

Weather Remains a Factor

As on each of the previous three days, rain intervened again, this time delaying the resumption of the third session and briefly threatening to eat further into playing time. The interruption was shorter than those seen earlier in the match, and once the covers came off, play resumed with Sri Lanka's chase getting underway roughly half an hour behind schedule.

What's Next

With Sri Lanka still needing a substantial total and India requiring only six more wickets, the tourists remain firm favourites heading into the final day, though a stubborn rearguard from Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha, combined with the weather, gives the hosts a route to a draw. For the full series schedule, see our India vs Sri Lanka Test series overview, and catch up on how the match got here with our Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 reports.

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