Cricket / 2nd Test in Colombo: Spin Showdown Looms as India Look for Series Sweep against Sri Lanka

New Delhi, Aug 22: India’s campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC) regained momentum with a dominant win over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle. Just days after sealing a 165‑run victory, Rohit Sharma’s side will shift focus to Colombo for the second and final Test starting Sunday.

The spotlight, however, is on Kuldeep Yadav, whose place in the XI has become a talking point after a subdued outing in the opener.

The left-arm wrist spinner endured a quiet outing in Galle, managing only one wicket across two innings despite bowling 25 overs. His control and variations, usually his hallmark, were missing for much of the first innings, though he did dismiss Kamindu Mendis with a sharp opening spell.

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In the second innings, he was introduced late as Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja had already dismantled the Sri Lankan batting. This has sparked debate within the Indian camp on whether to persist with Kuldeep or consider off-spinner Saransh Jain, who has 188 wickets in 54 First-class matches. Yet, given Kuldeep’s experience and quality, a change appears unlikely.

India otherwise looked well-balanced in the opener. Devdutt Padikkal seamlessly filled the No.3 slot in place of the injured Sai Sudharsan, while KL Rahul’s fluent 82 anchored the first innings. Rishabh Pant provided the spark in the second innings, smashing a stroke-filled 66 that helped India set Sri Lanka a daunting 372-run target.

The bowling unit was equally impressive. Youngster Manav Suthar stole the show with match figures of 10 wickets, his drift and dip troubling batters throughout. Jadeja’s control yielded 3-57 and 1-71, while Prasidh Krishna chipped in with three wickets across both innings.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, showed flashes of resistance but lacked consistency. Sonal Dinusha’s maiden century, Niroshan Dickwella’s fighting 80, and Dhananjaya de Silva’s grit offered hope, yet their top-order collapses proved costly.

With the ball, Asitha Fernando, Keshara Nuwantha, and Prabath Jayasuriya impressed in patches but could not prevent India’s dominance.

The Colombo pitch is expected to aid spin once again, setting the stage for another battle of attrition. India will aim for their first overseas Test series sweep since December 2022, when they defeated Bangladesh 2-0. Crucial WTC points are also at stake as the two-time finalists push for a place in the top two.

With momentum on their side and Sri Lanka eager to bounce back, the second Test promises high drama. All eyes will be on the 22 men as Colombo beckons.

Match Details

Date & Time: August 23, 10:00 AM IST

Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Telecast & Stream: Sony Sports Ten 1; Sony LIV

The Squads

India: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, and Sarfaraz Khan.

Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis (vc), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka

(IANS)