Published: Jul 25, 2017, 04:03 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 25, 2017, 06:47 PM (IST)
This was where it had all started in 2015. In his first series as full-time captain, Virat Kohli had steered India Men to a 2-1 victory against Sri Lanka Men — their first win on Sri Lankan soil in 22 years. From there he journeyed India to the No. 1 spot. On the other hand, Sri Lanka have since been stuck in the transition phase. Barring the spectacular whitewash over the Australians last year, Sri Lanka have been otherwise staring down the barrel, as their search for the lost paradise continues. Full cricket scorecard: India Men vs Sri Lanka Men, 1st Test match
Game plan
The Indian team management has announced Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan as the opening pair for the first Test. There are pros and cons, but more importantly, India have to put their best foot forward in the opening contest of the three-Test series.
After a long injury layoff and a break from IPL, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul were employed as openers for the tour. However, Vijay picked up a wrist injury during a preparatory match, opening gates for Dhawan, who had been dropped after the New Zealand series last year. Although Dhawan has not compiled a century since August 2015, the psychological advantage for him is that he had scored it against the same opposition and at the same venue, Galle.
That is not the concern all the same. Ahead of the match, Rahul was ruled out due to viral fever, and the medical team has kept him out of action “as a precautionary measure”. There were speculations of Cheteshwar Pujara partnering Dhawan (he had carried his bat with 145* the last time India had toured Sri Lanka), but the Indian team management has put that to rest.
Mukund has not yet translated his talent in performance in his 6-Test career. The decision to draft him as backup opener is a valid one.
Two years ago Kohli had preferred Rohit Sharma at No. 3. Rohit scored a fine half-century, but that was it. Kohli had to resort to Ajinkya Rahane at the same spot. Of course, with Mukund opening, Pujara, Kohli and Rahane will retain the positions from 3 to 5.
Ishant Sharma has been India’s spearhead in the only format he is picked for. He starts off with his mandatory economic spells, but the wicket column remains dry. With Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar headlining news columns, time is running out for Ishant. However, while that is a spot of bother, a more important aspect to look at is that India have three spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.
In Gautam Gambhir’s opinion, for ESPNCricinfo, India should play three spinners. Now wait. India have a fast-bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya as well. Given that India’s main suit has always been spin, can they afford to play three spinners, two pacers, and an all-rounder?
Kohli believes in playing horses for courses. Here is CricketCountry’s playing XI for the opening encounter.
Likely XI for India Men: Shikhar Dhawan, Abhinav Mukund, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav.
If the depleted Sri Lanka has to at least put up the fight, they have to dish out a wicket that best suits their primary ammunition Rangana Herath.
At 39, his hunger to play the game has not faded one bit. In an era where Muttiah Muralitharan single-handedly reduced the oppositions to ruins, Herath was simultaneously trying to make his way to the team and working as a bank clerk. However, he sensed the opportunity after Murali hung his boots after his 800th scalp. Not gifted with a twisted wrist or enormous spin, Herath has still managed to become the successful spinner ever since. In all he has taken 384 wickets at 27.7 from 81 Tests.
There is one more responsibility that rests on Herath. Sri Lanka named him the stand-in captain after Dinesh Chandimal was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Herath had bagged 7 for 48, taking Sri Lanka to a spectacular win on the fifth day of the Galle Test two years back. However, it is not the same Sri Lankan side they had fielded then. This one does not have Kumar Sangakkara. This one does not brim with confidence. And this one, this time, will face the No. 1 team.
Sri Lanka are likely to play ten of the same winning XI they had fielded against Zimbabwe, with an unfit Chandimal the only likely candidate to be left out.
Likely XI for Sri Lanka Men: Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Rangana Herath (c), Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara.
Quote unquote
“It brings back a lot of good memories, coming back to the same venue. And 50th Test is definitely something that has come about. I am not able to go back and retrace how I did it but I am very grateful to have gotten here. I think every Test match is a blessing from here on.” — Ravichandran Ashwin.
Squads
India Men: Virat Kohli (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Shikhar Dhawan.
Sri Lanka Men: Rangana Herath (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Mendis (wk), Upul Tharanga (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne (wk), Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Malinda Pushpakumara
