Harsha Bhogle was critical of India’s batting approach in the second innings of the first Test of the rain-hit clash in Galle against Sri Lanka as the Shubman Gill-led side chases a victory which is key not just to ensure they cannot lose the series but also to keep themselves with a realistic chance to reach the final of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC), where the team has little margin for error.

After taking a massive first innings lead of 178 runs, India came out to bat again on the fourth day but were bowled out for just 193 and set the home team a target of 371 to win with four sessions remaining in the game. Rishabh Pant’s knock of 66 in just 69 balls was the standout

However, Bhogle was not impressed with the team’s approach in the last 40 minutes of the innings. The cricket-turned-commentator pointed out India batted for too long without adding many runs to their tally. With rain looming, it could prove costly to India’s effort to take 10 wickets and win the match. Right after India were bowled out, rain returned and led to a delay of an hour before Sri Lanka walked out to bat for their second innings.

“Not quite sure what India’s approach was in the last 40 minutes or so. They took time out of the game but didn’t put too many runs on the board. I would have thought that with uncertain weather, they might give themselves as much time as possible,” wrote Bhogle on X. “The ground staff are ready with covers,” he added in another post to stress his point.

For those unversed, India posted a huge total of 462 in the first innings, with Devdutt Padikkal top-scoring with the maiden Test century of his career. Manav Suthar (4) and Ravindra Jadeja (3) took three wickets among themselves to ensure the hosts were bowled out for 284 despite a century from Sonal Dinusha.

Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Harsha Bhogle. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of ‘intent’ remain those of the creator.