Devdhat Pathikkal was the central figure in India's victory in Galle, where the team won by 165 runs. He was awarded the Player of the Match award for his impressive innings in the first innings, where he scored 167 runs. After the game, Pathikkal openly discussed his innings, the pitch in Galle, and the challenges he has faced on various test venues throughout his career.
This match held special significance for Pathikkal. He played a key role in reaching a strong total of 462 runs in the first innings, scoring 167 runs. In the second innings, he also added 44 runs. Additionally, Manav Suthar delivered an outstanding bowling performance, taking 10 wickets. This marked Suthar's second consecutive five-wicket haul, and he was playing in his second Test match.
When asked about his successive challenging test venues, Pathikkal reflected on his journey since the beginning of his career. He noted that he started in Dharamsala, then played in Perth, and now in Galle, but stated that he could not wish for anything better. Pathikkal also expressed great joy over the victory, noting that the team displayed magnificent cricket throughout the match.
Responding to the question about significant changes in the pitch over five days, Pathikkal acknowledged the natural wear and tear on the wicket. Nevertheless, he also observed that after the third day of the match, spin became more prevalent on the field. According to him, the wicket started spinning more from the third day, but he believes that the deciding factor in the match was which team utilized its skills better.
Pathikkal did not directly agree with the notion that left-handed batsmen gained an advantage on the Galle pitch, but he cited one reason. He explained that left-arm spinners were actively bowling in the match, and the pitch was slightly slow, meaning the ball did not receive too much bounce off the surface. Under such conditions, playing against left-arm spinners was slightly easier for left-handed batsmen, which, in Pathikkal's opinion, was a key aspect of this matter.
Pathikkal's innings of 167 runs laid the foundation for India's victory. India scored 462 runs in the first innings, with Pathikkal's contribution being the most significant. K.L. Rahul and Dhruv Jurel also helped the team reach such a high score, each scoring a half-century. In the first innings, the Sri Lankan team was reduced to 284 runs. At one point, the hosts lost five wickets for 90 runs, but the partnership between Sonal Dinusha and Dikwela prevented them from facing a follow-on.
In the second innings, only three Indian batsmen crossed the ten-run mark, but Rishabh Pant's quick innings of 66 runs increased India's lead to over 370 runs. Chasing the target, Sri Lanka quickly lost the first four wickets. Dinusha and Dikwela continued to fight, extending the match to the final day. However, Ravindra Jadeja achieved a major success by dismissing Dikwela. Following pressure from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dikwela's innings also ended, and then Manav Suthar closed the Sri Lankan innings, taking four wickets in just 10 balls. Sri Lanka was reduced to 206 runs, and India won the match by 165 runs, but Pathikkal attracted the most attention after this victory.
