Sri Lanka look to bounce back against India

Sri Lanka Captain Angelo Mathews and Indian Captain Virat Kohli – Pic by Lasantha Kumara

By Malik Gunatilleke

The stakes will be high as Sri Lanka and neighbouring rivals India prepare to battle it out in the three-game Test series scheduled to kick off in Galle on 12 August as both teams put their youthful squads to the test.

After a bitterly disappointing home series against Pakistan, in which they lost in all three formats, the Sri Lankan team will be looking to bounce back and deliver a substantially more consistent display. Captain Angelo Mathews however was resolute about the fact that the team must not linger on the recent disappointment.

“We had a tough series (against Pakistan) but we have to move on. We have to stay positive and focus on the series ahead. It’s going to be a tough series (against India) but I’m sure the boys will be up for it,” he said.

Though leg-spinner Rangana Herath has been given a clean bill of health, the Sri Lankan team has been pegged back with injuries to Dushmantha Sameera and Suranga Lakmal, which have ruled them out of the first Test. Sri Lanka will also sweat over the fitness of Mathews, who admitted that he wasn’t sure if he would be 100% fit for the first game. “I haven’t totally recovered from my injury. We’ve taken a couple of scans and will wait on them to take a decision on whether I’ll play but I’m confident that I’ll be fit for the first game,” he said.

The Indian team will first play a three-day warm up match against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI on 6 August at the R. Premadasa Stadium before the series kicks off.

The Indian team are seeking their first Test series win on Sri Lankan soil since 1993 and Captain Virat Kohli was adamant that there would be no added pressure on his team despite their dry spell in Sri Lanka.

Kohli, who began his international career in Sri Lanka and has enjoyed relative personal success playing in these conditions, claimed that he would not change his approach despite the added responsibility. Revelling in his first pre-Test series press conference as the Captain of India, he stated that the team was galvanised by the chance to perform in Sri Lanka.

“Both teams are in a rebuilding phase. We’ve got a lot of youngsters in the team and so do they. So it’s going to be very competitive in the sense that we both have players that are hungry to perform and cement their places in the team,” he said.

The series will also bring to an end the 15-year career of veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who is set to bid farewell to the sport following the second Test at the P. Sara Stadium. Although Sangakkara will not play his final game at his home ground in Kandy, the Sri Lankan team is committed to giving the legendary left-hander a fairytale finish to his sparkling international career.

Sri Lankan Captain Mathews stated that the best way the team could honour Sangakkara’s contribution would be to win the series. Although it would mark the end to a great servant of the game, the Captain assured that the team would stay focused on the ultimate prize of a series win.

Indian Captain Kohli also gave a glowing review of Sangakkara, stating that he was in the top three batsmen that young left-handers would idolise, adding that it would take something special from the Indian team to stop him in his final series.

“He deserves the best of farewells. His records in international cricket and Test cricket especially have been magnificent and I’m sure Sri Lanka will dearly miss him,” Kohli stated.

The Cricbuzz Cup will kick off in Galle on 12 August with the second Test match to be played on 20 August at the P. Sara Stadium and the final encounter to begin on 28 August at the SSC.