India edges closer to victory defending demanding Galle target.

Indian bowlers pushed their team to the edge of victory in Galle on Tuesday. Sri Lanka crumbled to 84/4 while chasing a towering target of 372 runs in the third session of day four. India now requires just six wickets on the final day to seal the match. The hosts, meanwhile, need a miraculous 288 runs to survive. Galle International Stadium has long been a fortress for spin bowling, making fourth-innings run chases notoriously difficult for any batting lineup.

Rishabh Pant Creates Batting History

Before the bowlers took charge, India set up the contest during their second innings despite being bowled out for 193. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant headlined the batting effort with a blistering 66 off 69 deliveries. He brought up his half-century in trademark attacking style. During this knock, he cleared the ropes twice. This feat made him the first Indian cricketer to hit 100 sixes in Test matches.

Earlier in the day, the visitors resumed with a comfortable 178-run lead but suffered an immediate setback. Asitha Fernando removed Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck in the very first over. KL Rahul chipped in with 35 runs before Prabath Jayasuriya broke his 65-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal looked solid during his 44-run stay. Ravindra Jadeja supported Pant later to stretch the overall lead past the 370-run mark.

Spinners Tighten Grip onn Final Session

Faced with a daunting chase after the tea break, the Sri Lankan top order quickly collapsed under pressure. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar exploited the turning track brilliantly to claim two early dismissals. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also grabbed one wicket each to rattle the opposition completely. Sonal Dinusha remained unbeaten on 25 alongside captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who closed the day on 31 not out. Both batters now face an uphill battle to save the match when play resumes.

WIth Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI