Home / Sports / Galle's fortress: Record chase looms for Sri Lanka
Galle's fortress: Record chase looms for Sri Lanka
18 Aug
Summary
- Sri Lanka must chase 372, far exceeding Galle's historic record.
- Only four teams have ever successfully chased over 100 at Galle.
- Sri Lanka is already 31 for 3, facing a difficult path.
The Galle International Stadium has proven a formidable challenge for teams batting last, with only 11 successful chases in 50 Tests. Historically, even modest fourth-innings targets were difficult, with the ground record for a successful chase standing at just 99 runs before 2019. This record has been broken twice recently, with Pakistan achieving the current highest successful chase of 342 in July 2022.
Sri Lanka now faces an even greater challenge, requiring 372 runs against India in the ongoing first Test. This target is 30 runs above the existing record. As of 2026-08-18T13:06:27+00:00, Sri Lanka is struggling at 31 for 3, with a long way to go and a historically difficult pitch to navigate.
