New Delhi. The second match of the two-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo from August 23. The Indian team, captained by Shubman Gill, has taken a 1-0 lead in the series by winning the first Test in Galle by 165 runs. Now India has a chance to clinch the series by winning in Colombo. On the other hand, this match is very important for Sri Lanka because to level the series they will have to win at any cost.
Before the match, most of the discussion is taking place about the Colombo pitch. It was believed that Sri Lanka could prepare a pitch with a lot of spin to trouble India's strong batting line-up. However, according to the latest reports, the host team seems to be backing down from this strategy. An official associated with Sri Lankan cricket told PTI that at present the idea is to prepare a balanced pitch like the Galle Test. On such a pitch, both batsmen and bowlers are expected to get adequate help.
The biggest concern for Sri Lanka is their weak batting order. Experienced batsmen Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal are out of the second Test while Pathum Nissanka is also unavailable. In such a situation, if the pitch is made excessively spin friendly then the Sri Lankan batsmen may also have to bear the loss. The team has already been under pressure against India's spin attack and fielding young batsmen in difficult conditions could prove to be a risky decision.
India had shown excellent batting performance in the first Test played in Galle. Devdutt Padikkal played a big inning of 167 runs in the first innings while India scored more than 460 runs. Sri Lankan spinners did try to make a comeback in the match but the depth of Indian batting kept the host team under pressure. India finally won the match by 165 runs.
In case of a balanced pitch in Colombo, the toss and first innings score can be very important. The historical record of SSC ground shows that the team batting first here can get a chance to create pressure by scoring big. According to the available data, the average score of the first innings in the Test on this ground has been 323 runs while the average of the second innings is 354 runs.
Another challenge for Sri Lanka is team combination. Former Sri Lankan cricketer Russell Arnold has also admitted that the host team is not in a position to field three specialist spinners like India as it could upset the batting balance. India has players like Ravindra Jadeja who can make strong contribution in batting along with bowling. For this reason, Sri Lanka will have to strike a balance in both the pitch and playing eleven.
In such a situation, the real contest in the Colombo Test will not only be between Indian batsmen and Sri Lankan spinners but also between strategy and team balance. If Sri Lanka prepares a pitch with too much turn, its inexperienced batsmen may find themselves in trouble. On getting a balanced wicket, it will be a big challenge for India to stop its strong batting. Therefore, the final mood of the pitch can have a big impact on the strategy of both the teams and the outcome of the match.