India primed for series sweep against injury-hit Sri Lanka

Indian players Ravindra Jadeja (second left), Priyank Panchal (right) and Shubman Gill (left) interact during a practice session prior to the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The second Test starts today. (AFP)

Injury-hit Sri Lanka will need nothing less than a miracle to deny hosts India a 2-0 sweep in the series when the two sides meet in the second and final Test in Bengaluru, which will be played under the lights from today. India have not lost a series at home in the longest format since their 2-1 defeat by England in 2012 and won their 14th consecutive series at home when they beat inaugural World Test Champions New Zealand at the end of last year. Led by new Test captain Rohit Sharma, the home side easily blanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs inside three days in the opening match played in Mohali last weejk. Sharma’s side will be firm favourites to extend their unbeaten streak, having never lost a Test match to Sri Lanka at home and their last defeat against the southern neighbours coming way back in 2015 in the longest format. To make matters worse for the touring side, Pathum Nissanka, who scored an unbeaten 61 in the first innings at Mohali, has been ruled out of the pink-ball Test with a back injury. Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who missed the first match with an injury, was also unavailable, while fellow paceman Lahiru Kumara injured his hamstring on the opening day at Mohali. “Injuries have been a huge concern for us,” Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne told reporters yesterday. “We have few bowlers and to win a Test we need 20 wickets. So it’s very hard to win against a team like India,” Karunaratne said. The hosts, in contrast, have welcomed back fit-again Axar Patel for the Bengaluru Test and the left-arm spinner is expected to replace Jayant Yadav in the side if India decide to continue with three tweakers. It will be the third day-night Test in India and the hosts have won both their previous pink-ball contests – against England and Bangladesh. Meanwhile India vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah felt playing a Test match under lights, with a pink ball, required a lot of mental adjustment. Bumrah yesterday said the team is entering unchartered territory despite having won their previous two day-night Tests on home soil against Bangladesh in 2019 and England last year. “We have to make mental adjustments while preparing for the pink ball Test,” Bumrah said yesterday. “Playing under lights, fielding and bowling with pink ball are things we need to get used to and we keep all of these things in mind while in the training session. “We are not used to catching or bowling with the pink ball. It is still a fairly new concept for all of us and we are trying to learn with every Test.” India were late entrants in the pink ball arena and made their day-night debut four years after Australia and New Zealand played the first-ever floodlit Test in 2015. They dispatched Bangladesh inside three days in Kolkata, but at the Adelaide Oval in December 2020 Australia bowled out Virat Kohli’s side for 36 in the second innings – India’s lowest Test total. The team got back to winning ways with the pink ball when they thrashed England in two days at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad in February last year. Australia has featured in 10 of the 18 pink ball Tests that have been played so far and enjoy an unbeaten record. Bumrah said his teammates will need to adapt to the different coloured ball, which has a coating of pink lacquer and behaves differently than the traditional red ball. “It all depends on the individual. Pink ball looks different, the speed at which it comes to you on the field,” said the fast bowler. “Timings for the day-night Test are also different, so the ball might not do so much in the first session but might start to do more under the light. “We have played the pink ball Tests on all different surfaces, so there are no set parameters for it.” Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium has allowed 100 percent attendance for the pink ball spectacle after they previously decided to limit the crowd to half capacity. The remaining tickets went up on sale yesterday with fans thronging to get seats at the 40,000 capacity stadium.