India vs Srilanka: Anything can happen in the first Test being played between India and Sri Lanka in Galle. India scored 462 runs in the first innings, in response to which Sri Lankan team was all out for 284 runs. In this way India has got a lead of 178 runs in the first innings. Although Sri Lanka made a brief comeback on the basis of Sonal Dinusha’s century and Niroshan Dickwella’s 80-run innings, but on the basis of the brilliant bowling of Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja, India all out Sri Lanka. Now on the fourth day, the biggest question is with what strategy will captain Shubman Gill take the field. India has a lead of 178 runs and the team will have to bat again as Sri Lanka has escaped the follow-on. In such a situation, Indian batsmen will try to score runs at a fast pace. If India adds around 200 to 250 runs, then a target of around 350 to 430 runs can be set for Sri Lanka. In view of the rain, time will be very important for India, hence instead of batting long, a decision can be taken to declare the innings by scoring runs quickly.
What will be the strategy of Team India?
The biggest challenge before Sri Lanka on the fourth day will be to deal with the Indian spinners. In the first innings, Manav Suthar took four wickets and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets. As the match progresses on the Galle pitch, the role of spinners may become more important. If India scores big in the second innings and puts Sri Lanka out to bat in the last one and a half to two days, then there will be a lot of pressure on the host team. Especially if Sri Lanka loses early wickets then India can move quickly towards victory. India can become a contender for victory, although Team India will be most worried about the weather. Till now, a lot of time of the match has been lost due to rain and this can become the biggest obstacle in the way of India’s victory. If the weather remains clear on the fourth day and India saves time by scoring runs quickly, then there is every possibility of the match getting a result. Looking at the current situation, India seems to be a strong contender for victory, but underestimating Sri Lanka could prove costly. However, from here it seems that Team India can give Sri Lanka a chance to chase by scoring runs quickly.