All roads will lead to the picturesque Galle International Stadium on August 12th as Kumar Sangakkara will play his penultimate international game with the commencement of the much-anticipated Sri Lanka versus India three-match Test series.
India hope to end a 22-year wait for a Test series win in Sri Lanka while the hosts’ are looking to send-off their greatest ever batting star in perfect style winning the series. This Test series is assured of making unknown names into star players in an old neighbouring rivalry which was unheeded in the recent years.
The left-handed batting great, whose 12,305 runs make him Test cricket’s leading scorer among those still playing, is due to quit international cricket after the second Test in Colombo. His favourite hunting ground in Galle where he averages 53.60 and where he reached his maiden test century will be itching to bid adieu to one of the trademark players in the history of the game.
Sri Lanka Cricket announced last week that school boys from Southern Province are eligible to enter the ground without a charge into the green grass banks and support the legend in his final appearance in Galle. Despite Sri Lanka’s poor recent performances, fans will come in numbers to be farewell to their hero.
Sri Lanka has hosted India in Tests since 1985. The two teams have played 18 games with Sri Lanka winning 6 to India’s 4 while 8 have ended has drawn matches. The tourists will not be distracted by the hype over Sangakkara’s farewell as they bid to end a bleak phase in Sri Lanka since the 1-0 victory by Mohammad Azharuddin’s men in 1993. India have played four series on the island since, losing in 2001 and 2008 while drawing in 1997 and 2010.
The five-year gap since their last series means that 11 of the 15 tourists, including captain Kohli, have not played a Test match on Sri Lankan soil before. The only batsman to have played, Murali Vijay is ruled out of the first Test, which means the top six batsmen have never played Test cricket against Sri Lanka in their own den.
Sri Lanka lost their three-match Test series, 2-1 against Pakistan last month but they will be far more morally enhanced as they will look upon this series as ‘send-off’ to their ‘icon of left-hand batting’.
Both teams are in a testing period of transition and this much-looked forward to three-match affair will present another chance to some of the talented but inconsistent young players to stamp their authority in the longest format of the game.
Pitch & Weather Conditions
The Galle pitch will help the spinners as always and this time around, there will be no change. Both bowling attacks are most certain of using two spinners each while the visitors must ponder using three spinners. According to weather reports, rain might intervene throughout the whole duration of five-days.
Sri Lanka
The most debatable selection would be the number 4 batsman’s spot as both Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne are vying for one spot with the return of Sangakkara into the team. According to the recent form, Tharanga should get the nod. The think-tank of Sri Lanka Cricket would most probably persist with young spin-sensation, Tharindu Kaushal to accompany Rangana Herath.
Probable XI – Dimuth Karunarathne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews*, Jehan Mubarak, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, Tharindu Kaushal, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Pradeep.
India
Murali Vijay’s injury has guaranteed Dhawan-Rahul opening combination. Chesteshwar Pujara is technically sound but Rohit Sharma is expected to play despite his inconsistent run in Test cricket. Five-man bowling attack will give many options to captain Kohli with experienced Ishant Sharma leading the pace battery.
Probable XI – Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhaman Saha, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
