Persistent rain and a wet outfield significantly impacted the second day of the first Test in Galle on Sunday, June 16, resulting in 55 overs being lost. Play commenced nearly five hours behind schedule, with India resuming their innings at 288 for 2. By the time stumps were drawn, India had advanced to 460 for 9, adding 172 runs to their overnight total.
Rishabh Pant, who began the day alongside overnight centurion Devdutt Padikkal, managed to steer the team past the 200-run mark early on. However, shortly after the second new ball was taken, Pant departed for a modest score after mistiming a shot against debutant Keshara Nuwantha. KL Rahul, who had retired hurt on Saturday due to cramps, returned to the crease but added only five runs before being dismissed by Nuwantha, who caught him at short leg.
Devdutt Padikkal’s impressive innings, which saw him reach 167, came to an end when he was stumped by the bowling of Prabath Jayasuriya. As Sri Lanka utilized the new ball effectively, they continued to pick up wickets, including Ravindra Jadeja, who was trapped leg-before by Nuwantha. At that stage, India found themselves at 377 for 6. Dhruv Jurel, who provided stability to the lower order, received a reprieve when he was dropped at slips by Dhananjaya de Silva while on 29.
Jurel eventually reached a half-century and formed a resilient 55-run partnership with Manav Suthar. The pair targeted Lahiru Kumara, hitting three boundaries in a single over to push the team score beyond 400. Despite the surface offering some turn, the batters displayed determination to navigate the conditions. With only three days remaining in the match and further rain in the forecast, India faces mounting pressure to accelerate their scoring if they hope to force a victory. In the brief scores, India ended the day at 460/9, with Prabath Jayasuriya claiming 4 for 109 and Keshara Nuwantha taking 3 for 175.
