Test match where Sri Lanka came second best

Is Sri Lanka's grip on Galle as its bastion diminishing? ■Galle suffers first drawn Test since 2013

- By Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Galle, the bastion of Sri Lanka in Test cricket, is no longer providing results that favour the home side as Pakistan in 2023, Australia in February 2025, and Bangladesh yesterday have proved.

Sri Lanka at one time were unbeatable at this venue, but overseas teams have found ways and means of encountering Sri Lanka’s spin threat and succeeded in winning or drawing matches.

Sri Lanka went to the first Test of the two-match series hoping to make a winning start to their campaign of reaching the final of the new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-2027), but ended up fighting to save the Test against a Bangladesh side that called all the shots — from the time they won the toss and batted first.

Prior to the match, Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva had emphasised on the importance of winning matches played at home, but all that Sri Lanka had to show was a draw where both teams had to share eight points.

It was the first drawn Test at Galle since 2013. On that occasion too, it was Bangladesh who were the opponents.