INDIA TOUR OF SRI LANKA, 2017

INDIA TOUR OF SRI LANKA, 2017

Dominant India look to extend run on dry surface

The Kohli-led Indian side registered a thumping 304-run win in the first Test in Galle © Getty

There could not have been a better way for India to come into their second Test fixture against Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo. They served up a hammering in the first Test and ticked all their boxes in the process. When they stepped at SSC for their first practice session, they were greeted by a pitch that was very much alike the one at Galle. A hard surface with a good covering of grass. It played right into India's hands, and gave them a massive opportunity to seal the series with another all-round performance.

During the pre-match press conference, Virat Kohli was all praise for the wicket, calling it a great Test wicket and the kind India can play their best cricket on. A big part of their success in the last 14 Tests had come on such wickets, and they were confident of extending their run on such a wicket.

Except, Kohli did not know that the pitch had undergone a massive transformation overnight. The grass on the wicket, every blade of it, was stripped off, and now it was just a hard dry surface that would take spin early. It narrowed the gap between the two teams. The toss would be crucial, but the game could be decided on one big hundred or one devastating spell, a la Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath respectively in Galle, 2015. Sri Lanka's choice to go in for the lottery is understandable. They were clueless as India hammered them by 304 runs, and on a low-scoring pitch their chance of a surprise would be far greater.

They will also be buoyed by the news that both Herath and Chandimal are fit for the game. Chandimal would greatly shore up their middle order, while Herath would be licking his lips with anticipation.

India should still not be overtly rattled by the pitch. Once the surprise of the transformation has died down, India would hurriedly make up new plans and still be confident of overcoming Sri Lanka. They have KL Rahul back in the side, a player who did exceedingly well on rank turners against Australia, and have an in-form bowling and batting attack. They will just hope to make the most of the wicket, and ride down Sri Lanka's hunt for the advantage as early as possible.

Sri Lanka did enjoy a number of decent individual performances in the Galle Test. Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dilruwan Perera did well with the bat, while the middle order too put in decent performances. The hosts will hope one of them can carry on and make a big one. Their bowlers were far from solid in the first Test, but with the pitch assisting spinners, they will hope to make a quick turnaround.

When: Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test, Aug 03-Aug 07, 10:00 AM LOCAL

Where: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

What to expect: The pitch would mean that the match could very well be a low scoring one, and the toss would be vital. Chandimal said he expected the pitch to take turn from Day 2, and both teams will hope to make good of the batting conditions on the opening day. Batting last could prove to be extremely tricky, and both teams could pack their side with spinners.

Team News:

Sri Lanka:

Malinda Pushpakumara, an honest toiler at the domestic level with over 500 First Class wickets, could be in line for a Sri Lanka debut. The left-armer should play alongside Perera and Herath, who has been passed fit. Lahiru Thirimanne or more likely Dhananjaya de Silva could replace Danushka Gunathilaka, who failed to impress in his debut Test, while Chandimal would replace Asela Gunaratne. If Sri Lanka are to sacrifice a bowler, Lahiru Kumara could make way, but it would be interesting to see if they would play with just one seamer. The other option would be to play a batsman less, or do away with Perera.

Probable XI - Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep.

India: Kohli's side had a big opening combination conundrum to solve, but it looks as if they've made up their mind. Kohli strongly hinted at playing Shikhar Dhawan ahead of Abhinav Mukund, saying the side had to look at who had the bigger impact. Dhawan would play alongside Rahul, who has recovered from high fever to be part of the side again. There could also be a strong possibility of India playing three spinners, in that case Kuldeep Yadav would come in for Hardik Pandya.

Probable XI - Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya/Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.

What they said:

I had a look at the wicket yesterday, I haven't seen it today yet. Looked pretty nice and hard underneath with good covering of grass. The last time around as well, we thought it was a great wicket for Test cricket: Virat Kohli, India captain, gave his views on the pitch.

It's always sad. Catches win matches. Everyone knows about that. I think in the last couple of games, we have improved on the field. In practice we are doing some drills: Chandimal, Sri Lanka captain.