In his brief Test captaincy career so far, has led India in only England (five matches) and at home (four). On the 79th anniversary of the country’s Independence, he will add Sri Lanka to that list, in a milestone encounter.
The 50th Test at the Galle International Stadium will also mark India’s 600th Test appearance; only England and Australia have played more Tests, and Gill’s India will hope to make this momentous occasion memorable for the right reasons as they seek to reignite their tottering World Test Championship campaign.
India’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka in nine years has left them with only three players who have played in this country previously. It will be incumbent on vice-captain KL Rahul, gun all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, therefore, to share their experiences with their young captain and their colleagues as India find themselves dangerously close to a point of no-return so far as the WTC is concerned.
Sitting on a five-Test winning streak in Sri Lanka, India won’t find the going easy against a Lankan outfit adept at making the most of its familiarity with home conditions. Galle has been a happy hunting ground for the home side in the past, but its recent record here isn’t the most encouraging and India will hope they can compensate for their lack of adequate taste of the conditions through their unquestioned skills and impeccable preparation from the time they landed in these shores more than 10 days back.
While there is no denying that is irreplaceable, there is enough quality in the Indian bowling to make up for the crack speedster’s injury-enforced absence. Gill will need to be creative and imaginative as a captain, especially once the Kookaburra softens up after 30 or so overs, with patience as his ally and the big heart of Mohammed Siraj as a strong rallying point.
India’s batting will be under great scrutiny after less than acceptable returns on turners at home against New Zealand and, more recently, South Africa. Sri Lanka are masters at exploiting turn and bounce, which Galle should offer aplenty as the match goes deeper. Undone by the likes of Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, and Simon Harmer in their own backyard, India must be on top of their game if they aren’t to allow Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and Sonal Dinusha to call the shots.