Rain threat looms as India lead Sri Lanka by 178 in Galle Test

Aakash Chopra has urged India to bat aggressively for about 40 overs on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka and set a target around 350, warning that a cautious approach could lead to defeat. Speaking on YouTube, the former India batter said the team should aim to score 150-175 runs quickly and declare, even though giving Sri Lanka a full day to chase could backfire if rain does not intervene.

India lead by 178 runs after bowling out Sri Lanka for 284, with Manav Suthar taking 4/76 and Ravindra Jadeja 3/57. However, Sonal Dinusha scored a century in his first international match, adding 146 runs with Niroshan Dickwella to frustrate the bowlers after lunch. Times Now reports that rain is expected around 10 am IST on Day 4, with a 56 percent chance of showers falling to 20 percent by 1 pm, so about an hour of play may be lost.

Chopra pointed out that if the full match is played and India bat too long, a rain-hit session could leave them without enough time to bowl Sri Lanka out. "If the full match happens and we are unable to bowl them out, they will have the time to score 350 runs," he said. The outcome on Tuesday will depend on how many overs the weather allows.