Coming off a 2-0 home loss to South Africa in their last [ICC World Test Championship 2025-27](https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/world-test-championship) assignment, India needed to address concerns relating to their ability to perform on sub-continental wickets.
And Sri Lanka provided a formidable challenge with its turning tracks and wily spinners.
But it was India that managed to stand tall in the first encounter between the two teams in Galle. Spinner [Manav Suthar](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/71149/manav-suthar), who picked a maiden 10-wicket haul in just his second Test, credited his team’s early arrival in Sri Lanka as an important factor that contributed to their success.
The team arrived in Sri Lanka on 4 August, and also featured in a three-day warm-up fixture before their first Test at Galle.
“It was very important to arrive 10 days early. It gives you time to adapt to the environment and get used to playing on these pitches and with the Kookaburra ball. That preparation time definitely helped a lot. It helped us 100 percent," Suthar told *BCCI*.
While India use the SG ball in their domestic cricket and home Tests, Sri Lanka use the Kookaburra ball. Suthar stated how after his stellar Test debut against Afghanistan in June 2026 (where he finished with seven wickets in a Player of the Match performance), he practiced with the Kookaburra ball.
“After the Afghanistan game, my main goal was to adapt as quickly as possible. For example, the match was with the Kookaburra ball, so I practiced a lot with the Kookaburra ball. I practiced a lot with it at the nets in my home. I wanted to get tuned into the game as much as possible," Suthar added.
Suthar also had a stint with England domestic side Warwickshire in the period between the Afghanistan Test and the first Sri Lanka Test, and featured in two games. With red-ball practice aplenty, Suthar had little trouble delivering 45.2 overs during the span of the Test.
Despite being a new-comer into the setup, Suthar was the most impressive of the Indian spin trio, which reflected in his numbers. The left-arm tweaker mentioned how India’s bowlers had focused on accuracy and patience to ensure their Galle triumph.
“We were discussing how patiently we needed to bowl because we knew it would be difficult for a new batter to play on this wicket," he said.
"So Jaddu *bhai* (Ravindra Jadeja), Kullu *bhai* (Kuldeep Yadav) and I were talking about how we needed to bowl patiently in one area, and the results would come on their own. It was a matter of being patient.”
Suthar will still have a key role to play if India are to secure a series win in Colombo. The second Test between the two sides begins on 23 August.
[**First Test:** August 15-19, Galle](https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/world-test-championship/matches/272145/sri-lanka-vs-india)
**Second Test:** August 23-27, Colombo
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