IND vs SL 1st Take a look at: Don’t underestimate Sri Lanka
The accumulation to this two-Take a look at sequence has virtually appeared like Sri Lanka are right here simply to offer an opposition for Virat Kohli to play his 100th Take a look at. They’re admittedly now not even part the aspect they had been a decade in the past, they have got slipped to No 7 within the ICC Take a look at scores, and they have got by no means gained a Take a look at fit in 20 makes an attempt in India.
However the closing time they had been right here, in overdue 2017, Sri Lanka drew two of the 3 Checks. They gave India a scare within the sequence opener at Eden Gardens, the place they disregarded the hosts for 172 and took a 122-run first-innings lead.
They’re unbeaten of their earlier six Checks, even though the ones have come in opposition to West Indies and Bangladesh. Earlier than that, they’d misplaced 4 successive Checks to South Africa and England. Whilst they have got simple promise, as evidenced within the sequence win in South Africa in early 2019, competing constantly in opposition to larger warring parties has been a topic for Sri Lanka of overdue.
? Sri Lanka Take a look at Squad for India Sequence.
What is your enjoying XI for the SL’s 300th Take a look at? #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/Yx0Si00YaL
— Sri Lanka Cricket ?? (@OfficialSLC) March 3, 2022
In Mohali and Bengaluru, they’ll be led through the veteran opener Dimuth Karunaratne. On a Colombo turner in 2017, the left-hander had struck a second-innings 141 in a six-hour effort in opposition to R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Younger Pathum Nissanka brims with doable at No three with a first class reasonable of 63.47. Angelo Mathews, 8 wanting 100 Checks himself now, follows Nissanka within the heart order. Subsequent is Dhananjaya de Silva, who has 8 Take a look at centuries, bowls helpful off-spin, and had made 119 in 2017 to earn Sri Lanka a attract Delhi from 35 for 4. Niroshan Dickwella brings chirp in the back of the stumps and spunk in entrance of them.
WATCH : Pre Sequence Press Briefing with Dimuth Karunaratne | Take a look at Sequence | Sri Lanka excursion of India 2022 – https://t.co/LUdgGYxISw #INDvSL
— Sri Lanka Cricket ?? (@OfficialSLC) March 3, 2022
The bowling is led through the skilled seamer Suranga Lakmal in his farewell sequence, and has some critical tempo in Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando. Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama are contrasting however prolific left-arm spinners who is usually a handful if Mohali turns, as it’s anticipated to. Now not for not anything was once Rohit Sharma training reverse-paddles in opposition to Ravindra Jadeja and Saurabh Kumar within the nets. And leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay is but to play a Take a look at, however has 224 firstclass wickets at a mean of 26.64.
If they are able to deal with some self-discipline, Sri Lanka may just check India in Kohli’s landmark sport. On paper, this doesn’t seem like an aspect this is right here simply to make up the numbers.
