The Galle International stadium is simply one of the best places to watch or play cricket anywhere in the world. The stadium is surrounded by the battlements of an imposing Dutch colonial fort on one side and the Indian Ocean on another. Even in a cricket mad country the locals are fanatical, which only adds to the unique experience of playing cricket here.

The home of the Galle Cricket Club, the first Test was played here in 1998. Tragedy struck in 2004 when the tsunami ravaged the stadium and the surrounding areas. For a considerable time the ground was used as a shelter for those who had lost their homes. Happily the stadium was rebuilt and was officially reopened by Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajapaksa in 2007, just before the start of the Test against England that ended in a draw.

The stadium is a fortress for the national team and has a reputation for helping the spinners. The ground had no finer moment than in 2010 when Murali got his much cherished 800th wicket, with his last ball in Test cricket, provoking a near hysterical response from the crowd.