India, Sri Lanka clash in final Test that begins today
Indian captain Virat Kohli takes a catch during a fielding drill at the Sinhalease Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on Thursday, eve of the third Test against Sri Lanka. (Photo: AFP)
Colombo: India will seek to clinch their first series win on Sri Lankan soil in 22 years as they go into the third and final cricket Test against the hosts here on Friday in what promises to be a thrilling duel between the two young teams.
Virat Kohli managed to register his first Test victory as captain after India humbled the hosts by 278 runs in the series-levelling win at the P Sara Oval and the new leader stands at the cusp of claiming his maiden rubber as well.
Mohammad Azharuddin had last led an Indian team to a Test series win here on Lankan turf, back in 1993, with a 1-0 margin. Kohli’s five-bowler strategy has paid rich dividends, albeit with different results. From three spinners in Galle and dropping Harbhajan Singh for Stuart Binny in Colombo, they have managed to pick all 40 Lankan wickets on offer. It has been a horses-for-courses policy thus far, and it has worked well.
Riding on R. Ashwin’s terrific form with the ball (17 wickets in 4 innings), the visitors have managed to dominate almost eight out of the nine days of cricket played so far in the two matches.
Ashwin, who bagged a five-wicket haul to help India skittle out Lanka for 134 to win the previous game, has combined well with Amit Mishra, who has picked 12 wickets in the series so far to spin Lankan woes.
The team management recognised that Ashwin and Mishra were proving quite a handful for the Lankan batsmen, and were ably supported by Ishant Sharma (and Umesh Yadav in the second Test) in the pace department.
As such they only needed reinforcements in the guise of a fifth bowler, and Binny was summoned for the second game. In the batting, Ajinkya Rahane has moved to No.3 and Rohit Sharma, after a failed experiment in three Tests, is now slotted at No.5. Due to injuries to M. Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara will with L. Rahul.
Tharanga is set to fill void left by Sangakkara:
India and Sri Lanka were left to ponder the behaviour of an unusually greenish wicket as they delayed naming their line-ups for the decisive final Test starting in Colombo on Friday.
The traditionally high-scoring pitch at the Sinhalese sports club (SSC) has undergone a dramatic change in appearance from a brown, flat track to a moisture-laden one that sports a tinge of grass.
Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews confirmed that the 134-Test veteran Sangakkara will be replaced by another left-hander Upul Tharanga, who has played 20 Tests, but admitted Sri Lanka were undecided on the rest of the team.
( Source : AFP )
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