After the Galle Test, R Ashwin examined the opposing roles of Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja. With Jadeja capturing three wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings of 284 and four wickets in the match overall, the former India cricketer demonstrated the various qualities each spinner brought to the bowling assault of the Shubman Gill-led team.
In the opening Test match at Galle on August 19, 2026, India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs thanks to an outstanding effort from left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. Suthar became the youngest Indian bowler to capture ten wickets in an away Test, taking four in the first innings and six for fifty-five in the second. The triumph was India’s 600th Test match and gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Ashwin compares the bowling strategies of Jadeja and Suthar.
Ashwin commended Suthar’s strategy and effect on India’s spin-bowling stocks. The former India off-spinner pointed out that Suthar was tactically creating fields to take advantage of batters’ weaknesses and had proven his ability to take wickets in his first two Test matches.
Ashwin also considered the Galle match environment and India’s batting performance. He pointed out that Sri Lanka had been under a lot of strain from the start due to India’s first-innings total of more than 450.
