IND Vs SL, 1st Test: What Happened The Last Time India Played Sri Lanka At Galle?

India will return to the Galle International Stadium for the first Test against Sri Lanka on August 15, bringing back memories of their previous Test at the venue in 2017. The last time the two sides met in Galle, India produced a commanding all-round performance to register a 304-run victory, one of their biggest wins away from home at the time.

The Test, played from July 26 to 29, 2017, began with India putting together a mammoth 600 all out after being asked to bat first. Shikhar Dhawan, making his return to the Test side, set the tone with a spectacular 190 off 168 balls, while Cheteshwar Pujara anchored the innings with 153 off 265 balls. Ajinkya Rahane added 57 and Ravichandran Ashwin contributed 47 as India built a huge first-innings advantage.

Sri Lanka struggled to keep pace with India's total but managed to reach 291/9 declared. Dilruwan Perera top-scored with 92, while Angelo Mathews made 83. The hosts' innings also featured a useful contribution from Niroshan Dickwella, who scored 67. However, India had already established a lead of 309 runs before declaring their second innings at 240/3.

Kohli Century, India’s Spin Duo Finish The Job

India's second innings revolved around a superb century from captain Virat Kohli, who remained unbeaten on 103. His knock helped India declare at 240/3, leaving Sri Lanka an enormous target of 550 runs for victory. With such a massive chase ahead, the visitors' bowlers needed only a disciplined performance to put the match beyond Sri Lanka's reach.

Sri Lanka's second innings initially showed signs of resistance. Dimuth Karunaratne scored 97, missing out on a century by just three runs, while Dickwella again impressed with a brisk 67. Kusal Mendis contributed 36, but the hosts eventually folded for 245, giving India a comprehensive victory.

The spin combination of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played a major role in India's victory. Ashwin finished the match with 6 wickets, while Jadeja claimed 5, as India's bowlers repeatedly broke through Sri Lanka's batting resistance. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav also contributed wickets during the contest.

The numbers underline just how dominant India were. They scored 600 in their first innings, conceded 291, added another 240/3 declared and then dismissed Sri Lanka for 245 to complete a 304-run win. Dhawan's 190 earned him the Player of the Match award.

The 2017 encounter also has a connection to the present Sri Lankan squad. Niroshan Dickwella, who has been recalled for the upcoming Test, was behind the stumps during that match and made 67 in Sri Lanka's second innings. Nearly nine years later, he could once again feature against India at the same venue.

As India prepare to return to Galle, the circumstances are considerably different. Only a handful of players from that era remain around the current setup, but Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul are among those with experience of the 2017 tour.

The current Indian side will hope Galle once again brings favourable conditions for their spinners, although Sri Lanka will be determined to ensure that the next chapter at the venue looks very different from the last one.