SL vs IND 2026, SL vs IND 2nd Test Match Preview

Massive image: Sri Lanka’s house distress

It has been 10 years since Sri Lanka received a sequence wherever in opposition to India, England or Australia. That is the sixth straight house sequence in opposition to these groups that they’ve did not win. In opposition to India, they have not received wherever since 2008. This normal decline has coincided with the tip of the profession of Rangana Herath, who offered Sri Lanka competitiveness as soon as Muttiah Muralitharan retired.

Since Herath’s retirement, Sri Lanka have struggled to seek out one spinner not to mention two, which is the perfect quantity, who will constantly outperform the opposition spinners on spin-friendly tracks at house. The identical was the case within the first Test of this series in Galle. Prabath Jayasuriya and the debutant Keshara Nuwantha had been outbowled by the Indian trio of Manav Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Whereas the emergence of Sonal Dinusha‘s batting is nice information for Sri Lanka, he stays strictly a batting allrounder.

Had there been any higher spinners round, they might have been enjoying in Galle. That the changes made for the SSC Test are solely within the batting division confirms that. So in Colombo, the place the very best Sri Lanka can handle is to attract the sequence, the identical spinners must present appreciable enchancment for the hosts to remain aggressive.

An enormous issue stays the toss. Have a look at the yields on every day of cricket in Galle: 288 for two, 172 for 7, 286 for 11, 277 for 14 and 122 for six. Now India’s adventurous batting on days two and 4 due to time misplaced to rain was little doubt a contributing issue to the wickets that India misplaced, however nonetheless day one had the very best batting situations of the final Check. Sri Lanka will probably be determined to win that toss on Sunday.

India will probably be glad to have put collectively such an intensive efficiency after having misplaced two of their final three sequence in related situations at house. It has stored alive India’s chances within the World Test Championship. They can not afford to not win this one both. A win will take them to 57.58% of the factors contested, which, if Bangladesh lose in Mackay, leaves India simply outdoors the highest three.

Taking a look at how effectively Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bowled in Galle, India will probably be quietly assured even when they lose the toss at SSC, which hasn’t fairly been variety to quick bowlers, costing them 38 runs per wicket within the final 10 years. Having put within the efficiency they did in Galle, something lower than a win now will probably be unsatisfactory for India regardless of the toss.

Type information

Sri Lanka LDLWD(final 5 accomplished matches, most up-to-date first)
India WWLLW

Within the highlight: Manav Suthar and Sonal Dinusha

It’s fairly wonderful how shortly India have accepted Manav Suthar as their lead spinner. In each the innings he received the ball earlier than Ravindra Jadeja, and struck in earnest. He introduced himself in Sri Lanka with a first-ball wicket. He delivered the whole lot anticipated of him: overspin, numerous work on the ball, lengthy spells, after which when the ball was turning lots he modified the seam orientation and elevated his tempo to offer it each likelihood to extract pure variation from the floor. There’s solely anticipation of how he offers with newer challenges new Exams throw at him.

Sonal Dinusha seemed most at house in opposition to India’s spinners. It does assist that he batted No. 6 on what was a new-ball pitch however there was a peaceful and an assuredness to his technique. He got here near scoring twin centuries within the Check, and Sri Lanka will need extra. Would possibly they promote him in order that the substitute for Dinesh Chandimal can get pleasure from a little bit of a cushion?

Crew information: Does Kuldeep Yadav retain his place?

Sri Lanka’s listing of accidents has solely grown after the primary Check. Neither of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis has recovered, and Chandimal is out with a concussion. They’ve additionally disregarded opening batter Nishan Madushka and spinner Ramesh Mendis. Which means approval for Keshara Nuwantha with the ball, and a debut for Kamil Mishara. Pasindu Sooriyabandara made his Check debut final week underneath unlucky circumstances, subbing in for the concussed Chandimal and lasting just one ball. A implausible catch that he took got here earlier than Chandimal had been dominated out so even that did not go down in opposition to his title. Within the curiosity of equity he ought to get one other go in Colombo.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Lahiru Udara, 2 Kamil Mishara, 3 Kamindu Mendis, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt.), 5 Sonal Dinusha, 6 Pasindy Sooriyabandara 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Keshara Nuwantha, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Kuldeep Yadav continues to be underneath harsh highlight after he managed just one wicket in his comeback Check. There have been durations throughout which he seemed threatening but additionally durations when he seemed the least potent of the three India spinners. He nonetheless averages simply over 23 in Check cricket, which speaks to his high quality but additionally to the truth that 16 of his 19 Exams have are available in India and Sri Lanka. Lots of Kuldeep’s future is determined by how the workforce administration reads his present kind: is he enjoying so little as a result of he would not have the rhythm or does he don’t have any rhythm as a result of he performs such little cricket? The pragmatic technique to discover out is to offer him another recreation when the going is sweet.

India (possible) 1 KL Rahul, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Shubman Gill (capt.), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Manav Suthar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna

Pitch and situations: Raining greater than regular

The climate for the Check in Colombo is anticipated to be higher than Galle the place we received about 70 overs on a median on a regular basis. The pitch can also be more likely to be drier than Galle although it does have some grass on it, giving the quicks some visible hope not less than.

Stats and trivia: Jaiswal’s one-Check stands

This will probably be Yashasvi Jaiswal’s thirty first Check, all 31 at completely different venues.
Six of Devdutt Padikkal’s 10 first-class centuries have been 150 or greater.
Sri Lanka final received a Check in opposition to India in 2015, dropping 9 and drawing two since then.

Sidharth Monga is a senior author at Cricinfo

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