Sri Lanka have to do their bit to handle Indian spinners on dry Chinnaswamy’s pitch
Sri Lanka have to do their bit to handle Indian spinners on dry Chinnaswamy’s pitch
To participate in a pink ball test is to participate in a carnival. Keeping in mind that in order to create a festive atmosphere under the dazzling evening sky and bring fans closer to a format which, at times, may seem out of place in this fast-paced world of less attention was imagined.
selling ideas
The start of the match on the weekend in this city depends entirely on this story. After all, Bengaluru’s youth-populated areas are in and around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the second Test between India and Sri Lanka begins on Saturday.
A few sessions of watching cricket can lead to familiarity with the oldest format of the game, and even a lasting friendship. The KSCA, the host association, is also planning a coffee table book – which is more to be seen than read – highlighting the best moments in the city’s cricket history.
If he is able to leave his mark, the credit will go to Sri Lanka. However, the signs are not encouraging, especially after the innings and 222-run loss in the first Test in Mohali.
character returns
An already full-strength Indian team will welcome left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who took 11 wickets in the last pink-ball Test match played in India (vs England, February 2021), ensuring that match two Finished in less than days. The spin trio of Axar, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be more than a handful on a dry Chinnaswamy pitch.
The way the pink ball wobbles, especially in the evening, has often prompted the sides to play fast-paced attacks. But as the weather warms up and the humidity is very low, the chances seem to be dwindling. In the pre-match briefing, the hint seekers got nothing as vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah kept the cards to his chest.
However, Sri Lanka saw a lot of India in Mohali and would be hoping for no more. But Virat Kohli is due for a century and Garden City is practically his second home. Interestingly, Kohli’s last international century was in the pink ball Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata in November 2019. Wouldn’t they like redux?
Injuries to top-order batsman Pathum Nisanka (back) and pacer Dushmantha Chameera (ankle) have hampered the visiting team’s preparations for Bengaluru. Nissenka scored a half-century in the first Test and the sharp Chamera could have made an impact, but both would be missing from action. Fast bowler Lahiru Kumara is also out with a hamstring injury and left-arm spinner Pravin Jayavikrema is likely to replace him.
The 35-year-old Suranga Lakmal will be playing his 70th and last Test and there is no doubt that he will want to go on top.
This will be the 19th day-night Test so far and a brief history shows that there are virtually no half-measures in this style. Not a single match has ended in a draw and five of the last 11 pink ball Tests have been won by innings, two by eight wickets or better and two by more than 250 runs. In the current form, only one team seems to be finishing on the right side of this record.
Teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Saurabh Kumar.
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjay De Silva (Vice-Captain), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Charit Aslanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Jeffrey Vander Pravin Jayavikrema Lasith Embuldeniya, Pathum Nisanka, Dusmantha Chamira and Lahiru Kumara.
Umpires: Arpita Choudhary and Nitin Menon; TV umpire: Virendra Sharma; Match Referee: Javagal Srinath.
Match will start at 2 pm