SL vs IND 1st Test Results

8:43 AM IST A fightback from 90/5 - Sri Lanka’s reply got off to a shaky start as India’s bowlers kept the pressure on and reduced them to 90/5. Just when it looked like it could get ugly pretty quickly, Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella put together a crucial 146-run partnership. Dickwella’s 80 and Dinusha’s maiden Test century helped the hosts avoid the follow-on. India still secured a 178-run lead, but the home side had at least managed to prevent the damage from becoming far worse.

8:43 AM IST That's a wrap - Despite the win, India remain 5th in the WTC standings, with their points percentage now at 53.33, while Sri Lanka stay 6th with 33.33. At the moment, Australia are at the top of the table, with South Africa in 2nd. Sri Lanka can no longer win this series, but they will hope to deny India a series win in the second Test in Colombo at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, starting on Sunday, 23rd August. That game will begin at 4.30 am GMT (10 am IST). There is plenty of Test action to follow in the meantime, with England and Pakistan facing each other in the first Test later today at 10 am GMT (3.30 pm IST), while the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh will begin on Saturday, 22nd August. Until then, take care and goodbye.

8:38 AM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Devdutt Padikkal takes home the award, scoring 167 in the first innings and following it up with 44 in the second dig. He reflects on the spread of venues he has featured at, starting in Dharamsala, then Perth, and now Galle. Says he couldn't have asked for anything better and feels great to contribute to the team. On the surface, Padikkal says it showed natural wear and tear as the match wore on, calling it a great Test wicket that played well across all five days, though it began turning noticeably more from day three onward. Ultimately, he feels it came down to which side executed their skills better, and India did exactly that. On being asked why left-handers seemed to have more joy than the right-handed batters, he says it wasn't really a deliberate pattern, more a byproduct of the match being dominated by left-arm spin. On a wicket this slow, he explains, left-handers simply found it easier to negotiate that particular threat than right-handers did.

8:29 AM IST The skipper of India - Shubman Gill says it is a special feeling to win India’s 600th Test. Admits that Sri Lanka put them under some pressure at times, but his side responded well. When asked whether batting is a concern given how India’s second innings unfolded, Gill says it is not an issue for the team. Explains that the aim in the third innings was to build a lead of around 400, but the wicket was not easy to score on, and in their search for quick runs, they lost wickets. Feels Suthar has been bowling magnificently and looks like a very promising player who can serve India for a long time. On Padikkal, Gill says it was great to watch him turn his hundred into a big score in the first innings and then continue to dominate in the second innings. On India’s WTC ambitions, Gill says reaching the final is the ultimate goal. He adds that Test wins do not come easy, making this victory all the more satisfying.

8:20 AM IST The captain of Sri Lanka - Dhananjaya de Silva feels Sri Lanka fought hard throughout the Test, particularly from Day 2 onwards. He says the pitch was good to bat on for the first three days, but the fourth innings was always going to be difficult. He points to KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal’s partnership on the opening day as a key difference.

8:16 AM IST Time for the presentation ceremony, which is taking place indoors due to the rain.