Galle [Sri Lanka], August 19 : Following India's win in their 600th Test at Galle against Sri Lanka, skipper Shubman Gill lauded spinner Manav Suthar for his ten-wicket haul, saying that the all-rounder is someone who can play for India for a very long time.
After giving spotlight to legends of the past, Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, the Galle International Stadium unearthed the future torch-bearer of Indian spin bowling as his ten-wicket haul became the best figures by an Indian in Sri Lanka and proved to be instrumental in India's 165-run win, with Devdutt Padikkal playing sensational knock of 167 in the first innings at number three and following it with a knock of 44 in the second innings to give SL a tough target of 372 runs.
Speaking after the win, Gill said, "It is really special to win the 600th Test match for your country. A very satisfying win for us. I think we were in a comfortable position. But to be able to come here, not sure if the match is going to go because of the weather, we were put under a bit of pressure. But I think the team responded really well."
On his side's batting collapse in the second innings that caused them to skittle out for 193 runs, Gill reasoned that the team wanted a lead of around 400 runs and the wicket was not easy one to score.
"We were looking to play a little bit more aggressively in the third innings because we wanted that many overs (in the final innings), and we were not sure how many overs we would be able to bowl on Day 4 and 5. So, that was the thought process. And in that process, we lost some early wickets. But I think overall we were still in a comfortable position," he added.
On Suthar, he said, "He has been bowling magnificently. Looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a long time."
The skipper also praised Padikkal for his 'Player of the Match' sealing performance, saying that the batter was "magnificent to watch".
"Important to get hundreds but even after getting a hundred...he got a big one. Being in a competitive match and in a comfortable position...the way he batted and dominated in the second innings, was great to watch," he said.
On a concluding note, Gill asserted that playing in the World Test Championship final is the "ultimate goal".
"Test wins do not come easy and this one is delightful," he signed off.
Coming to the match, India won and elected to bat first, knocks from Devdutt Padikkal (167 in 230 balls, with 15 fours and a six), KL Rahul (82 in 175 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Dhruv Jurel (51 in 68 balls, with four boundaries and a six) helped them reach 462. Prabath Jayasuriya (4/109) and Keshara Nuwantha (3/175) were among the top bowlers in the first innings.
During SL's first innings, they had sunk to 90/5, before a 146-run stand between Niroshan Dickwella (80 in 115 balls, with seven fours) and Sonal Dinusha (100 in 168 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) pulled them out of trouble. Suthar's four-fer and overall exceptional spin bowling from India skittled them out for 284 in reply to India's first innings total of 462, trailing by 178 runs.
Sri Lanka's bowling was more clinical in the second innings with only Rishabh Pant (66 in 69 balls, with eight fours and two sixes), Devdutt Padikkal (44 in 75 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul (35 in 47 balls, with two fours and two sixes) contributing something of note as India was all out for 193 runs, giving SL 372 runs to win. Asitha Fernando (4/31) and Prabath (3/43) were exceptional with the ball.
In the second innings, SL were down and out at 47/4, but Dhanajaya de Silva (59 in 151 balls, with seven fours) and Sonal Dinusha (84 in 128 balls, with eight fours and a six) gave them a glimmer of hope with a 91-run stand. After Dinusha fell as the seventh wicket, it was all over for SL as Suthar made SL's lower-order collapse like a pack of cards, bundling them out for 206 runs. SL lost the Test by 165 runs.
Prasidh Krishna (2/16 in 10 overs) bowled an exceptional spell of pace, while Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja also got a wicket each. India is 1-0 up in the two-match Test series.