The first Test in Galle was hardly an edge-of-the-seat thriller. But nothing came easy to India in their 165-run victory.
Devdutt Padikkal had to apply himself and build a long innings to ensure that India made the most of winning the toss. KL Rahul, playing Test cricket better than he ever has, was forced to grind. Manav Suthar ended up with 10 wickets, but it was not simply a case of darting the ball into the surface and hoping it would do the rest. Especially after the ball softened, he had to earn or buy his wickets. The seamers put in proper shifts, not in terms of workload but through short bursts of high intensity.
