Published: Aug 06, 2015, 09:59 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 06, 2015, 09:59 AM (IST)
India and Sri Lanka have played 35 Tests till date. Of the 35 Tests, 18 have been played in Sri Lanka. As such, India have won only 4 of the 18 matches in Sri Lanka, losing 6 and drawing 8. While India won a Test in Sri Lanka in 2010, the last time India won a series there was in 1993. If Virat Kohli leads India to a series victory in Sri Lanka, not only will it be a motivating beginning to the Test skipper’s new responsibility, but a new dawn in Indian cricket, writes Sudatta Mukherjee.
The last time India won a Test series in Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli was a 5-year-old. Out of the six bilateral Test series played in Sri Lanka — and the one Asia Test championship — India have lost four and drawn two of them. The last time India won a Test match in Sri Lanka, Sachin Tendulkar was still playing. READ: Virat Kohli to make debut against Sri Lanka in Tests
Since 2010, the Test scenario for India has changed totally. From their brief reign as the No. 1 Test team, things went tumbling downhill as India’s overseas record deteriorated drastically. India have played 48 Tests since their last series in Sri Lanka in 2010, of which they have won 17 (almost exclusively at home), lost 18, and drawn 13. Out of those 48 Tests, India played 28 overseas, and won only three of them, the latest being against England at Lord’s in 2014. The last Test series win came in 2011, months after India had won the ICC World Cup 2011. India vs Sri Lanka: 5 memorable Tests
Out of India’s squad that toured Sri Lanka in 2010, only three members remain — Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra, and Ishant Sharma. Even Kohli made his Test debut only after that tour. India have come a long way since. Kohli’s aggressive brand of captaincy has been seen three times ahead of this series, in two Tests against Australia Down Under and against Bangladesh in the one-off Test recently. READ: India’s tour game an early indicator of things to come
The captaincy not only made him more responsible but also portrayed a different Kohli, who was overshadowed often by the presence of a calm and much more experienced MS Dhoni. Kohli appeared resilient and gutsy, as if he was already full of years of captaincy experience. His batting too reflected a sense of maturity that some were afraid might get hampered by the additional burden.
The kind of aggression and determination which Kohli displayed was once displayed by the Australians – the never say die attitude. Kohli in the Adelaide Test fought till the end. Even in the Sydney Test, Kohli was clear about what he wanted even though the match was eventually drawn. In Sri Lanka, Kohli will need to work on the long pertaining problems of tackling the Sri Lankan spinners. Kohli needs to guide his batsmen — who have recently shown a worrying susceptibility against spin — through troubled waters. Even though India will enter the series as favourites, given Sri Lanka’s poor form in recent times, the Indian bowlers have the tendency of giving away the match when things appeared to be in India’s favour. It will be interesting to see whether Kohli will be able to ignite the fire in his players or will he adjust his game plan according to the given resources.
(Sudatta Mukherjee is a reporter with CricketCountry. Other than writing on cricket, she spends penning random thoughts on her blog. When she is not writing, you will catch her at a movie theatre or watching some English televison show on her laptop. Her Twitter handle is @blackrosegal)
