SL vs IND 1st Test: 3 problems exposed despite India's win

India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test at Galle, which concluded on Wednesday, August 19. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second Test scheduled in Colombo from Sunday.

Despite the positive result, the match brought three clear concerns to the surface. Youngsters stepped up admirably, but some experienced players and a key bowler left questions unanswered heading into the next game.

3. Kuldeep Yadav's ineffectiveness despite spin-friendly conditions

Kuldeep Yadav managed just one wicket across 25 overs in the match, a return that stood out given how spin-friendly the Galle surface was. The pitch turned considerably more from the third day onwards, as Devdutt Padikkal noted in his post-match comments, making conditions well-suited to wrist spin.

In Sri Lanka's fourth innings, Kuldeep was taken off after just one over, with Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja continuing the bowling attack. With the second Test in Colombo approaching, India will need Kuldeep to rediscover his effectiveness if they are to maintain pressure with the ball.

2. Batters throwing wickets away against pace in the second innings

India were bowled out for 193 in their second innings, with several batters losing their wickets to the pace bowlers despite the surface not offering much assistance to the quicks. Padikkal described the wicket as a slowish surface that was not providing a lot of bite, which made the dismissals against pace harder to explain.

Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 0 in the very first over of the second innings, starting a dismal batting performance from the tourists. Gill acknowledged after the match that the team had wanted to set a target of around 400 in the third innings and that the wicket was not easy to score runs at will, adding that they lost a few wickets in the process but remained in a comfortable position. Even so, the manner of several dismissals against pace on a slow track was a concern.

1. Experienced campaigners failing to match the youngsters' standards

The contrast between India's younger players and some of their more experienced campaigners was one of the talking points from the Galle Test. Padikkal, playing only his third Test match, scored 167 in the first innings and 44 in the second innings, and was named Player of the Match. Suthar, in just his second Test, picked up 10 wickets in the match and showed the ability to turn the ball as well as push it through straight.

Also Read: 'He needs the team to stand by him at this point' - Ajinkya Rahane backs Kuldeep Yadav despite dismal Galle outing

Jaiswal's second-innings duck and Gill's dismissal for 8 highlighted that the senior batters need to shoulder more responsibility in the second Test in Colombo. The youngsters have set a high standard, and the experienced campaigners will be expected to match it when the two sides meet again in the decisive fixture at the Sinhalese Sports Club.