Devdutt Padikkal provided the batting foundation, Manav Suthar delivered the decisive blows and Sonal Dinusha stood almost alone in Sri Lanka’s resistance as India completed a 165-run victory in the first Test at Galle on Tuesday.

India’s victory gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, but Sri Lanka’s defeat was not without its positives. Dinusha, playing only his second Test, produced a maiden century in the first innings and followed it with an equally determined 84 in the second, finishing the match with 184 runs.

Padikkal’s 167, however, remained the innings that shaped the match.

The left-hander spent more than five and a half hours at the crease after India won the toss and elected to bat, producing the sort of innings that allowed the visitors to dictate the course of the Test.

Padikkal made 167 off 230 balls, hitting 15 fours and a six. He was patient when Sri Lanka bowled well and quick to punish anything loose, building his innings through a mixture of concentration and controlled aggression.

By the time he was dismissed, India had already established a commanding position.

KL Rahul’s 82 provided the other major contribution at the top of the order, while Dhruv Jurel made 51 and Rishabh Pant added 39. India eventually reached 462 in 116.4 overs, having batted themselves into a position from which Sri Lanka were always going to have to play catch-up.

Sri Lanka’s best bowler was Prabath Jayasuriya, who claimed four for 109 from 39 overs. Debutant Keshara Nuwantha took three wickets, but the price of India’s runs was high.

Sri Lanka’s reply threatened to unravel early.

Nishan Madushka was out for a duck and Dinesh Chandimal followed for four. Kamindu Mendis and captain Dhananjaya de Silva were also dismissed cheaply, leaving Sri Lanka 90 for five.

Then Dinusha took charge.

He did not attempt to manufacture a counter-attack. Instead, he settled in, trusted his defence and waited for the opportunities to score.

The result was a century that carried considerably more weight than the number beside his name.

Dinusha made 100 from 168 balls, with four fours and two sixes, batting for 269 minutes. It was a patient innings under pressure and one that kept Sri Lanka’s first innings alive.

Niroshan Dickwella provided valuable support, making 80 from 115 balls. Their partnership changed the mood around the Sri Lankan camp, taking the score from deep trouble to 236 before Dickwella was dismissed.

Dinusha eventually fell for 100 with Sri Lanka on 274, and the innings ended at 284.

Suthar had already done his share of the damage.

The young left-arm spinner claimed four for 76, while Ravindra Jadeja took three for 57. India’s 178-run lead was significant, but Sri Lanka’s bowlers then gave themselves a chance of getting back into the match.

Asitha Fernando was particularly impressive.

India were reduced to 193 in their second innings, with Fernando taking four for 31. Jayasuriya claimed three wickets and Lahiru Kumara two.

Padikkal again made a contribution, scoring 44, but it was Pant’s 66 that gave India the runs they needed to push the target to 372.

It was a substantial target, but Sri Lanka’s top order had already shown signs of vulnerability.

The second innings began badly.

Madushka fell for six, concussion substitute Pasindu Sooriyabandara was dismissed without scoring and Kamindu Mendis made only two.

At 21 for three, Sri Lanka were staring at another collapse.

Dinusha was again the man who refused to allow it.

This time he joined Dhananjaya de Silva in a partnership that briefly raised the possibility of an extraordinary fightback. Dhananjaya made a patient 59 from 151 balls, while Dinusha again showed the discipline that had carried him to his century.

The pair took Sri Lanka to 142 before Dhananjaya was dismissed.

Dinusha carried on.

He reached 84 from 128 balls, striking eight fours and a six. His second innings was different from the first in tempo but similar in character. He was prepared to stay in and make India work for every wicket.

But Suthar was not finished.

The spinner returned to break the resistance and proceeded to rip through Sri Lanka’s lower order.

His final figures of six for 55 were the best bowling figures of the match. More importantly, they took him to 10 wickets in the Test, making him the decisive figure in India’s victory.

Dinusha eventually became Suthar’s fifth wicket when he was caught by Dhruv Jurel for 84.

The final three wickets fell for seven runs, with Suthar dismissing Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara for ducks before completing his six-wicket haul with the wicket of Keshara Nuwantha.

Sri Lanka were all out for 206 in 77.4 overs.

The scoreboard therefore told a straightforward story.

India 462 and 193. Sri Lanka 284 and 206. India won by 165 runs.

But behind those figures was a Test in which Sri Lanka repeatedly found themselves in trouble and repeatedly found Dinusha attempting to pull them out of it.

For India, Padikkal’s 167 was the innings that changed the complexion of the game. Suthar’s 10 wickets then ensured that Sri Lanka never had the opportunity to recover fully.

For Sri Lanka, Dinusha’s 100 and 84 were more than just two scores. They were the clearest evidence that the home side had a batsman capable of standing up when the pressure was greatest.

India’s victory was ultimately comprehensive, but Sri Lanka will take encouragement from the fight shown by Dinusha.