Toss: India chose to bat v Sri Lanka
04:27
Arnold: Sri Lanka have to get their fielding sorted
“Just want to make the most of the best of the batting conditions for the first two days,” said Virat Kohli as he called correctly at the toss for a second Test in a row this series. That he added that comment after a token “looks a decent wicket” suggests the kind of cricket India were expecting in Colombo. And if that doesn’t enforce the impression that turn will be plenty, the hosts Sri Lanka, already 0-1 down and needing to win at the capital to stay alive, went in with three spinners, including left-armer Malinda Pushpakumara, handed his first Test, which also doubled up as his 100th first-class match. The 30-year old has been prolific in first-class cricket, with 558 wickets and a best of 9 for 46. Tellingly, he has been the most successful bowler in the Premier League Tournament in three of the last five seasons.
India had one change with KL Rahul reclaiming his place at the top of the order from Abhinav Mukund after a bout of viral fever. He will partner Shikhar Dhawan, whose game-changing 190, made during the first two sessions of the series in Galle, ensured he kept his place in the XI. At No. 3 is Cheteshwar Pujara, playing his 50th Test. Kohli was content with two frontline spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Hardik Pandya perhaps bringing reverse swing into play later in the game.
Dinesh Chandimal, returning to captain Sri Lanka after recovering from pneumonia, was hopeful of restricting India to as “minimum” a total as possible and this time, at least, he has the options to do so. Their spin-bowling spearhead Rangana Herath has recovered well enough from a blow to his bowling hand to start again, but he might well be pleased to note that he will have more support, with Dilruwan Perera and Pushpakumara. Perhaps even Dhananjaya de Silva could roll his arm over, having come in for the injured Asela Gunaratne. Sri Lanka had to sacrifice a fast bowler and have gone into the SSC with only one – Nuwan Pradeep.
Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (capt.), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Malinda Pushpakumara, 11 Nuwan Pradeep
India: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), Ajinkya Rahane, 6 R Ashwin, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Hardik Pandya, 9 Ravindra Jadeja 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Mohammed Shami
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo