India’s Spin Strategy for the First Test
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof anticipates that India might field three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka. He suggests that young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar could be chosen over uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain for the match.
India will be without Ravichandran Ashwin, who has retired, and the injured Washington Sundar for the first Test. This leaves Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the primary spin options. The decision then focuses on who will join them in the playing XI.
Maharoof believes Suthar possesses an advantage due to his ability to generate bounce from the pitch. Sri Lankan surfaces are known to assist spinners through bounce, making this quality particularly valuable. Suthar had a strong start to his international career, taking seven wickets on his debut against Afghanistan.
Conversely, Jain has yet to make his debut for India but has positioned himself as a contender after touring Sri Lanka with India A. During that tour, the off-spinner secured seven wickets and also contributed an unbeaten 70 runs while batting at number seven.
Despite the potential benefit of having an off-spinner for variation, Maharoof thinks Suthar’s ability to get bounce might be prioritised, even if it means India fields three left-arm spinners. He stated he would be inclined to go with two left-arm spinners along with Kuldeep Yadav, who is considered a frontrunner to start in Galle given his past performance and wicket tally in the last Test against Afghanistan.
Maharoof expects India to approach the Test with a balanced bowling attack, comprising two seamers and three spinners. He believes this combination makes India’s bowling line-up quite competitive.
The Rishabh Pant Threat and Sri Lanka’s Strategy
Farveez Maharoof also identified Rishabh Pant as a significant threat to Sri Lanka, despite the wicketkeeper-batter’s modest scores in India’s three-day warm-up match in Colombo. Pant scored two and 28 in the match, which India won by six wickets.
Maharoof cautioned against taking confidence from Pant’s warm-up scores, highlighting his capacity to change the course of a match rapidly. He noted that Pant has an X-factor and the freedom to play his natural game, and he is expected to face a considerable amount of left-arm and off-spin bowling.
Maharoof anticipates that Sri Lanka will heavily rely on spin against Pant, likely deploying two frontline spinners along with two part-time options. However, he believes Pant’s unconventional style of scoring runs could still make him a dangerous player.
The former all-rounder also discussed Sri Lanka’s need for greater consistency in the longer format of the game. He emphasised the importance of veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal in the upcoming two-Test series against India at home. Maharoof will be part of the expert panel for India’s Test tour of Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15.
Maharoof stated that this series presents the best opportunity for Sri Lanka to defeat India at home. India previously won the last two Test series in Sri Lanka in 2015 and 2017, with their last loss against Sri Lanka occurring in 2008. He mentioned that Chandimal, who scored an unbeaten 162 to help Sri Lanka win in Galle in 2015, has a strong record against India, accumulating 750 runs in eight Tests and 16 innings at an average of 50.00, including two centuries and three fifties.
The 92-Test veteran Chandimal is expected to bat at number three and carry significant responsibility. Maharoof recalled Chandimal’s third-innings hundred against bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra, suggesting these positive memories will be beneficial. The series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
