Ravichandran Ashwin’s six-wicket haul helped India skittle out Sri Lanka for 183 at Tea on the first day’s play in this first Test match at Galle.
Spinners combined well to take 8 wickets and dismiss the hosts’ on a turning and dry surface. Pathetic batting display by the Lankans against the spin brought the downfall.
Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal took their team out of danger constructing a 79-run stand for the 6th wicket after being 60 for 5 at one stage. Mathews reached yet another half-century but he fell to the bowling of R Ashwin after scoring 64 off 92 deliveries. 
Prasad was trapped LBW by R Ashwin as he was the 5th victim of the off-spinner. Chandimal used the sweep and pull shots to accumulate valuable runs but he was caught at first slip by Rahane off Amit Mishra as the leg-spinner took his first Test wicket in 4 years. He made a counter-attacking 77-ball 59 with 9 fours.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first but lost five wickets within the first session of play. Sri Lankan openers managed only 15 runs before Ishant Sharma struck the first blow when Dimuth Karunarathne was dismissed by a rib-crushing bouncer which took a leading edge to gully.
Silva was dropped on 4 by Dhawan but he made for his earlier drop when the diminutive opener attempted loose pull shot off Varun Aaron and was caught at first slip as both openers went back in space of three balls.
Lahiru Thirimanne was promoted to bat at number 3 ahead of Kumar Sangakkara with a long term goal in mind of the Sri Lanka Cricket management. Sangakkara failed to make an impression during his penultimate international match as he was caught at silly-point by KL Rahul off R. Ashwin.
Late in the first session, Lahiru Thirimanne and Jehan Mubarak fell to the bowling of R Ashwin as the spin and bounce did the trick on the two left-handers.
India, in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 183, were 128 for two at stumps on the opening day of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten on 53 and skipper Virat Kohli was on 45. The pair added 100 for the third wicket after India were reduced to 28-2.
Sri Lanka –183 all out in 49.4 overs: Angelo Mathews 64, Dinesh Chandimal 59, Rangana Herath 23, R Ashwin 6/45, Amit Mishra 2/21
India – 128/2 in 34.0 overs: Shikhar Dhawan 53* not out, Virat Kohli 45 not out, Dhammika Prasad 22/1, Angelo Mathews 12/1
