India vs Sri Lanka: Gill-led side eye clean sweep, WTC boost in second Test

India aim to seal their first overseas Test series win in three years against Sri Lanka, with skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal under pressure to deliver big scores. Kuldeep Yadav’s place is also under scrutiny

Colombo: Substantial knocks from skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will fill the remaining gaps as India push for their first overseas Test series victory in three years during the second and final match against Sri Lanka, starting here on Sunday.

India’s last Test series win abroad came against the West Indies in July 2023.

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Since then, India have lost to Australia and shared series against South Africa and England away from home.

During this period, defeats at home against New Zealand and South Africa also dimmed the aura around this Indian Test outfit.

However, Gill’s side regained some ground with a 165-run victory in the first Test at Galle, where Sri Lankan spinners often spun a web around the visiting batters.

Despite the inexperience in the Sri Lankan ranks, the result would have come as a relief for the team and head coach Gautam Gambhir after two disappointing home defeats against New Zealand and South Africa.

The Galle win has certainly eased the pressure around the team.

Possible change in WTC points table

If India complete a 2-0 clean sweep, they will have a chance to move up to fourth place in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings with 57.58 percentage points.

There is a strong possibility that Bangladesh, currently fourth in the WTC table with 66.67 percentage points after their Darwin victory, could lose the second Test against Australia at Mackay and slip to fifth place with 55.56 percentage points.

Big innings around the corner?

Amid the general optimism, India will certainly welcome runs from Gill and Jaiswal.

On the surface, Gill appears to be in solid touch, having scored two hundreds in his last six innings.

However, there remains a slight weakness in his game — a pattern of dismissals against spin, particularly left-arm orthodox bowling.

True to that trend, Gill fell twice to Prabath Jayasuriya at Galle, and he will be keen to correct that record in the second Test, which remains a blemish on an otherwise impressive run as team leader.

As captain, Gill has scored 1,100 runs in 10 Tests at an average of over 73, a remarkable improvement from his 1,893 runs in 32 Tests at an average of 35 before taking charge of the team.

There is also the matter of securing India’s first overseas Test series win under his leadership — a measure of success and pride for any captain.

If Gill can achieve both objectives, India could be difficult to stop at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Jaiswal presents a slightly deeper concern. After scoring a hundred against the West Indies in New Delhi last year, the opener has managed only one fifty in his last eight innings.

Similar to Gill’s struggles against spinners, Jaiswal has developed a worrying habit of getting dismissed while attempting cuts or chips against pace bowlers.

After being run out in the first innings at Galle, Jaiswal fell in a similar fashion in the second innings.

The left-hander attempted to cut Asitha Fernando’s short-pitched delivery, only to edge it through to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.

It was therefore unsurprising that Jaiswal spent extended time at the nets on Friday at the SSC to rectify that aspect of his game.

India’s pace bowling coach Morne Morkel worked on deliveries outside the off-stump, attempting to tempt Jaiswal into playing the cut or chip over point.

But the 24-year-old showed restraint, allowing the deliveries to pass harmlessly.

If he can carry that discipline into the match, another big score could be within his reach.

Kuldeep or Saransh?

Kuldeep Yadav was another member of the XI who struggled to make an impact at Galle. He had a disappointing outing, taking just one wicket from 25 overs across two innings despite the pitch offering considerable assistance.

Kuldeep was also the most expensive among the bowlers, conceding more than four runs an over in the opening Test.

The temptation will be to replace the left-arm wrist spinner with off-spinner Saransh Jain, given the number of left-handed batters in the Sri Lankan line-up.

However, dropping a senior bowler after just one match could send the wrong signals. The team management will have to decide whether to take that tough call.

Kuldeep’s absence from the nets on Friday could be linked to his possible omission from the playing XI, but the final decision will depend largely on the pitch conditions, which was watered over the last two days to retain its grip.

From Sri Lanka’s perspective, their top order needs to show greater composure at the crease rather than playing a flurry of shots and losing wickets.

They will hope the inclusion of in-form Kamil Mishara and Sahan Arachchige brings a positive change.

Otherwise, another one-sided contest could be on the cards.