The Indian slip cordon reacts during the first day of the tour game. (Reuters)
Since the famed quartet of 70s hung up their boots, India have seldom fielded three spinners in a Test match away from home, chiefly because they began churning out better pacers since. But ahead of the Galle Test, India’s think tank could be seriously mulling on playing three spinners.
It might not be just because Galle could assist spinners, but one-Test-old Kuldeep Yadav is making serious claims to a permanent spot. After his impressive Test debut in Dharamsala, he gave further evidence of his skills in the practice game against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI, picking four wickets as they bundled out the hosts for 187. Also, it provides India with the elusive luxury of a wrist spinner. There have been a few claimants for the spot, like Amit Mishra, but none have performed over a sustained period of time. Moreover, a chinaman adds an element of mystery to the bowling firm.
His wickets, though, came largely against the lower order but he made an impression, bowling just 6.5 overs. Considering that India have sometimes struggled to wipe out the lower-order, Kuldeep’s efforts can’t be underestimated either. In case he’s picked, it would be at the expense of a specialist batsman than a fast bowler, especially as Kohli prefers five-specialist bowler permutation. Also, dropping one of R Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja looks utterly implausible. Whatever be, it’s a happy headache to have.
If Kuldeep wiped out the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI tail, Jadeja made an even bigger impact, removing Test-discard Lahiru Thirimanne and the promising Dhananjaya de Silva inside three deliveries and then, accounting for Ashan Priyanjan. In between, Jadeja effected the run out of a well-set Danushka Gunathilaka as well. The hosts had been sitting pretty at 138 for one after 37 overs. They suddenly slumped to 145 for five and failed to recover thereafter. Such quick slides are a common sight in the Lankan shores.
Jadeja’s form sets a nice portent. He still tops the ICC Test bowling rankings with 898 points. His nearest rival, Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath is on 866 points followed by Ashwin on 865 points. The upcoming Tests could be a fascinating contest between the two teams for spin-bowling supremacy. And Jadeja could well be India’s trump card after his 71 scalps in 13 home Tests last season.
Ashwin, though, went wickteless. It could be a hangover of his apparent loss of confidence at the Champions Trophy and the West Indies series. But in Test matches, he is a different beast. He had been the jewel in the crown, with 82 wickets at 25.28 in 13 home Tests last term. But sports hernia ruled him out of the IPL followed by the snub in the first two matches of the Champions Trophy.
The off-spinner eventually had been brought back to the fold, but his average of 167.00 in three matches attested a slump in form. Back in familiar territory – the subcontinent has always been his stomping ground – Ashwin, however, has started off slowly; 0/34 in 10 overs. As for the Indian pacers, Mohammed Shami bagged two wickets, but Umesh Yadav was expensive, conceding 43 runs in eight overs without a wicket.
The opening conundrum
KL Rahul made a breezy 54 with seven boundaries on his return to competitive cricket after four months, recovering from a shoulder injury that had ruled him out of the IPL and the Champions Trophy. But now that he is back with a half-century, the team management will have to find a partner for him to open the innings in Tests. Abhinav Mukund accompanied Rahul at the top but was dismissed first ball by young seamer Vishwa Fernando. With him unlikely to get another short, he would be ruing the lost opportunity.
Shikhar Dhawan, picked in place of the injured Murali Vijay, is expected to bat on Saturday. He presents an option for the opening slot. From that point of view, it’s going to be an important innings for Dhawan, with this being the only tour game before the Test series. Dhawan would be eager to prove his value, for he has been in Test-match wilderness for nearly a year. But the return to Sri Lanka should inject some confidence, for it was here he scored his last Test hundred. Also, he was in sublime touch in the Champions Trophy.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was plying in the county, spent time at the crease but got out for 12 before skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane forged an unfinished 46-run fourth wicket partnership. At stumps, Kohli was batting on 34 and Rahane on 30. Both looked fluent as India finished the day on 135 for three. It could be an important outing for Rahane, who had an inexplicably fallow home season. He seemed to have regained the form in the limited-over series in the Caribbean, but a big score here would do his confidence a world of good.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Board President’s XI 187 all out in 55.5 overs (Gunathilaka 74, Thirimanne 59; Kuldeep 4/14) versus India 135/3 in 30 overs (Rahul 54, Kohli 34 batting; Fernando 2/21).
