India showed a lot of promise in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI as they emerged victorious by 6 wickets. Chasing a target of 207 on Day 3 of the three-day game, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a half-century while Shubman Gill scored 44 after missing the first two days due to injury as India looked ready for the first Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle starting August 15. It was a mixed bag for the visitors as the likes of Devdutt Padikkal , Gill and Ravindra Jadeja performed brilliantly but questions remained over the likes of Rishabh Pant and Gurnoor Brar . Here are the 5 takeaways from the warm-up match –
Shubman Gill is ready for the first Test
Fans were left concerned when Shubman Gill did not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up match and KL Rahul came out for the toss instead. The Indian cricket team skipper did not field at all and even on Day 2, he did not come out to bat in the first innings. However, he ended all speculations over his fitness on Sunday as he slammed 44 off 54 deliveries with the help of 7 boundaries. He looked in good touch and is completely ready to lead the side in the first Test match in Galle.
A clear favourite emerges for No. 3 spot
India were dealt yet another injury setback as Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the series after failing to recover from injury. He was the preferred No. 3 batter for the side but the warm-up game provided the team with an ideal replacement. Devdutt Padikkal looked in sensational form as he scored an unbeaten 142 off 164 deliveries with 18 fours. He looked completely at ease against the Sri Lanka XI bowlers and his knock almost guaranteed him as the No. 3 batter for India in the first Test.
Concerns over Rishabh Pant
While there were many positives for India in the warm-up match, a major sore point was Rishabh Pant. The wicket-keeper batter did not help his chances as he scored just 2 off 5 balls in the first innings and 28 off 68 balls during the run chase on Day 3. Pant tried to play his usual aggressive brand of cricket but ended up miscuing his shots on many occasions and with the team management considering Saransh Jain as an all-rounder option, Pant’s place may come under some danger.
Spin attack looks well-prepared
The pitch at Galle has historically been spin-friendly and the performance of the India spinners surely made the fans very happy. Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar all picked up wickets in the first innings and even got ample practice. Jadeja looked sharp in both innings while Kuldeep provided the variety in the spin attack. Even Saransh Jain was used as a proper spin option and their form will give India the much-needed flexibility while picking the playing XI.
Still no clarity over team composition
The warm-up match against Sri Lanka answered a lot of big questions but not all of them. With Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan in the squad, India have competent options for the No. 7 spot. However, in Saransh Jain, they have found a solid all-rounder option and with the first Test just round the corner, there still remains speculation over who will make the final cut.