Apprehensions about how India’s top order would fare in Sri Lanka were proved unfounded. The top five batsmen all made runs either in the first innings or the second, which in fact now poses a sweet dilemma for the team management going ahead.
India had lost regular openers, Murali Vijay and K L Rahul, through injury/illness prior to the first Test. Shikhar Dhawan, making a comeback to the team after almost a year, opened the innings with Abhinav Mukund whose past record had been wobbly.
Even in the hugely rewarding last home season where India had won all the Test series, the form of the openers had been a source of some worry. To now have two batsmen under pressure to reiterate their bonafides added a degree of uncertainty that Sri Lanka could exploit.
Moreover, after a glorious purple patch, runs had become a trickle from Virat Kohli bat in the Test series against Australia. This could only have added to the anxiety when the first Test began, for India had even made bold to play only five specialist batsmen.
As it happened, while the opening partnership didn’t flourish this time too, there were runs galore from the main batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli spanked fine centuries, while Abhinav Mukund and Ajinkya Rahane had finely crafted half centuries to their credit.
Even allowing for the fact that the Sri Lankan team looks beleaguered currently, runs from these batsmen were important.
Of the lot, the more crucial innings were those of Dhawan and Mukund. Pujara has been a resolute and stylish run-getter, Rahane has been consistent if not always high scoring while compunctions about Kohli’s lean trot were misplaced. He is just too good to keep failing for long.
Where Dhawan and Mukund are concerned, they had fortuitously got a lease of life because of the unavailability of Vijay and Rahul. It was either make or break for them. Neither of them is a rookie, so losing their place again could well have spelt finish to their Test careers.
In the circumstances, both came up with sterling knocks. Dhawan’s swashbuckling 190 in the first innings was redolent of his first ever Test innings against Australia in 2013 when he had gone after the bowling from the word go.
There was none of the nervousness one would expect in a man making a comeback. Instead there was panache and handsome strokes all round at almost run-a-ball which left the Sri Lanka bowlers battered and bruised for the match which they went on to lose by 304 runs.
I recall speaking to Dhawan after his debut innings. He said he had been waiting patiently for a Test call and now that he had got into the side, it would take a lot to take him out. While he did lose his place last year, the old determination seemed to be back.
Mukund’s prolific run-getting in domestic cricket should have made him a Test regular by now. He blew the opportunity six years back when chosen to tour England in 2011. Though there was a total team collapse (barring Dravid) in that series, the biggest sufferer was Mukund.
His inclusion in the Test squad again was reward for consistency in first class cricket, but to make it count in Tests was always the challenge. Failure in the first innings raised a big question mark against his name, but 81 in the second were superbly made.
The question now for the team management is to construct the top order — in the remaining two Tests of this series as well as the season ahead. Rahul’s expected to be fit for the next Test. For the next series, Vijay should be back too.
Also, Rohit Sharma is seeking to regain his place in the middle order.
Looked at another way, what a happy headache’ to have!
