India in Sri Lanka 2017

India in Sri Lanka on a full tour, with matches across all 3 formats.
First test underway today onwards.

Having won the toss, Virat Kohli decided to bat. India went in with Hardik Pandya at 6, thus providing themselves with 5 bowling options. Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav in charge of the seam bowling department with Pandya to back them up, and Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in charge os the spin bowling department. As both first choice openers, KL Rahul and Murali Vijay are unavailable, they went in with Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan.
For Sri Lanka, newly appointed test captain Dinesh Chandimal was out ill and are led by veteran spinner Rangana Herath. Danushka Gunathilaka has taken Chandimal's place in the side. Nuwan Pradeep also makes a return after an injury layoff during the Zimbabwe series.

India got off to a fine start to the series. Though Abhinav Mukund failed to make use of the opportunity he got, Shikhar Dhawan, in splendid limited overs form, carried that on to the test and smashed 190 in just 168 ballsCheteshwar Pujara hit his 12th test hundred, not out overnight on 143. Skipper Virat Kohli was done in by a short ball for just 3. Ajinkya Rahane, finding a few runs in the West Indies in the limited over games, is not out on 39.

Sri Lankan bowling was particularly bad on a real flat pitch. They were all over the place with even Rangana Herath looking some way short of his top game. Said that, Dhawan played a fine hand, grabbing the lucky chance he got. Despite his limited overs runs, he went into the series as the 4th choice opener, not even there in the squad to start with. He got in Murali Vijay was ruled out for the entire series, and got to play this game as Lokesh Rahul had to be rested due to fever right on the eve of the game. But he has made it count in fine fashion. For Mukund, it is yet another lost opportunity, after he missed out during the opportunities he got during the Australia series. With Rahul set to return for the next game and Vijay expected back for the next series, Mukund may not get too many opportunities to revive his test career. But then he might, considering the injury issues with Indian openers that started from the Bangladesh series 2 years ago! Rahul, Vijay and Dhawan have been taking turns getting injured!

Gunaratne is unlikely to bat for SL in the match either, he broke his thumb while dropping Dhawan at 2nd slip on 31

Lots of talk for India allows surrounds Kohli, Rahul and Rahane. But the lad Pujara knows how to pile the runs on. Looked like he could bat for days

The new talk in town is about whether Virat is struggling a bit against the short ball. Got out to a couple in the West Indies recently, and now today Pradeep did him in with a pretty good one.
Don't think Kohli has a serious issue with the short stuff, but this will be just a little bit more pressure on the Indian captain after what he did to Kumble was not at all well received. YesmanShastri has his job cut out from the outset, to keep Kohli focused...

Was pleasantly surprised to see Hardik Pandya getting a game, that too ahead of the wonderboy from Mumbai, a close pal of Kohli-Shastri. Despite doing well so far in his international career, and starting well in the warmup game, Kuldeep Yadav wasn't picked in the side. At the time of the toss I thought he could perhaps have played though that would hve been extremely tough on Umesh if he had to miss out. But having seen how the pitch has played, perhaps going in with 3 quicks may not have been the worst call that Kohli could have made. No real life for the spinners on this one to start with. Being the venue that it is, it will surely turn, but as Sri Lanka are likely to bat last, Ashwin and Jadeja should be enough by then I feel.

Also interesting will be the Indian batting lineup to come. Among Ashwin, Saha and Pandya, who will bat at 6? I would go in with Ashwin, but wouldn't mind Pandya coming in at 6. If he gets going for a couple of hours, that will be great, and he can play freely with nearly 400 already on the board.

good day for India
neither side charged up fully

saw highlights and following thoughts

--Dhawan was in a zone....he loves Lankan soil anyway..but what an inning it was, toyed with the bowling.....could have gotten a triple hadn't he thrown it away
Mind you he is India's no.3 opener

---It's a travesty that likes of Rohit sit out and likes of Karun nair and Shreyas Iyer don't even get in the squad and Parthiv patel such courageous with the bat as an opener also doesn't get in and Ranji super-performers like Panchal and Pant aren't even in the frame.

and Mukund gets to play...really a shame

--also Jayant Yadav....after excellent test matches vs Eng as India's spin bowling allrounder...he ain't even in the squad

Kuldeep Yadav will displace Ashwin sooner than later overseas...Ashwin is on the notice each game

--I like Pandya...most exciting Indian potential and playing him is a good move......a dry run for tougher overseas games to come

that we have Ishant and Bhuvi as backup pacers is the healthiest part of our cricket.

Pitch looked flat and herath's captaincy flatter

India through to an even 600 all out this morning. Pujara 153, Rahane 57, Pandya 50 (off 49) & Ashwin 47.

6-fer for Pradeep. Herath bowled 40 overs, 1-159 - ouch.

This match is just embaressing.
As bad as it is being an England fan at times this takes hopeless to a new level.

Sri Lankan cricket looks to be in real decline. Having a player ran out when trying to hang in a game is just poor.

--the match is indeed quite one sided so far
Not that Lanka doesn't have talent...but they are lacking team spirit, will and leadership......means going through the motions
Also to be fair Herath is not a natural captain & captaincy has come too late to him

--The Indian seamers bowled fast 90mph and got some shape, especially Shami
Ashwin got good spin and troubled the batsman...he seems to have recovered from whatever injuries he had
He should be used as a a test match only spinner

Lanka bowled out for 290odd and as is the trend India will not enforce follow-on
Mostly captains do not unless game is likely to be curtailed due to weather.
we have 55 overs today and two full days
I can see India batting 80odd overs and declaring just before lunch tomm....giving them 600 runs to chase in 5 sessions

rain stops play...if there was a chance of rain
they should've enforced follow-on

As it is the first test of the series, and considering this was a track that hasn't been far too difficult to bat, I can understand why Kohli didn't go for the follow-on option. And of course Chestthumper would have cheered him on, whatever he wanted to decide. But with the weather around a bit, hopefully India won't bat too long and give the Sri Lankans any chance to save the game.
The bowler of the day for India today was Ravindra Jadeja. Bowled with real class. Hardik Pandya ticked another box when he took wicket when called on rather late to bowl, has been a solid debut for him. Kohli is back among runs, and Abhinav Mukund, possibly on last chance, took with 81. He would be disappointed he didn't convert it, but has he done enough to keep Rahul out?

msp83 wrote: Abhinav Mukund, possibly on last chance, took with 81. He would be disappointed he didn't convert it, but has he done enough to keep Rahul out?

No way does he keep Rahul out
even Dhawan won't keep either of rahul or vijay out ( when fit and back)
Mukund may have done just enough to hang in the squad for a ibt longer

Rahul and Vijay do remain my first choice openers and I agree, Mukund hasn't done enough to retain his place as Rahul has rejoined the team.
But with Captain Brat, you never no!

walloped them thouroughly

Sri Lanka absolutely smashed. Set to score 550 in the last innings across nearly 6 sessions, Lanka didn't last the 4th day and were bowled out for 245. Asela Gunaratne and Rangana Herath didn't bat due to injuries. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took 3 each, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami 1 each, and Hardik Pandya, though he didn't take a wicket, found some good reverse swing, a good sign for the future.
Kohli completed his 17th test ton in the morning before India declared. A team performance from India. Sri Lanka just didn't seem up for it. Now with Gunaratne out, they would need to make some decisions not just about a replacement as such, but also about whether they should have a relook at the balance of their side. The Lankan attack, with the Indians figuring out how to deal with Rangana Herath, just doesn't look capable of taking 20 wickets, unless it is a very lively pitch. In fact, that is their chance, put up a lively bowling wicket, and hope that their batting lineup can come up with a decent enough performance. Perhaps they should consider Dilruwan Perera as an all-rounder and bat him at 7 and bring in another spinner if the track is likely to turn. Not sure about the extend of Herath's injury, though the Indians had the measure of him in this test, he remains the premier test spinner in the world even at the age of 39.

Chandimal, Sandakan and Thirmanne back for next test

another day of comprehensive dominance for India who are nearly 350 runs for 3 down

every batsman in the top 5 including Mukund who is sitting out has gotten runs
& when you are running thru a bad patch you lose tosses also on pitches that will assist spinners in 4th inning significantly

India will look to pile on 600+ and crush Lanka under the weight of that monument

Lanka needs a spark of motivation or two or 3 to compete in this game

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane scored unbeaten hundreds on the opening day to put India firmly in command at 344-3. Pujara is batting on 128 and Rahane on 103. Opener KL Rahul, returning from illness made 57 beautiful runs before getting run-out, his 6th consecutive 50+ score....... Shikhar Dhawan went on the attack from the word go and made 35 at nearly a run-a-ball before he was out LBW on review, trying to sweep the first ball from offspinner Dilruwan Perera. Virat Kohli was the only Indian batsman to have really missed out.
Indian batting lineup would now have the all-rounders and the wicketkeeper, but like in the last game, they have a platform to play freely....... And that should suit the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. Sri Lanka's problems are compounded by Nuwan Pradeep's injury. Pradeep failed to complete his 18th over the day and had to walk off. Not sure about the extend of his injury, but being the only seamer in the attack, his loss would be particularly bad for the Lankans. Also we should remember he was the one bowler who managed to stand up to the Indian batsmen in the last game and was instrumental in bringing Sri Lanka back into the game all be it briefly on the 2nd morning of the first after they had yet another terrible opening day at the office.

Gotta admit watching Rahane bat is like poetry in motion. One of the most elegant and beautiful batsmen on the eye going around. A pure joy.

Sri Lanka are absolutely sh!t though. I saw a lot of hype about Herath being some sort of world beater. But unless he's bowling on dust bowls, he's just an average left arm non turning slow bowler. India have hammered him for fun.

Herath certainly is one of the best spinners going around. He has performed well not just at home alone, but away as well, including engineering a rare test win in South Africa. But the Indians have played him much better after he had send them crashing them to a defeat in the first test of the last series. They have been using their feet regularly against him, both to attack and defend. And since he had to bowl first on both occasions, he had to work with the least help from the track. And lets not forget, he's nearly 40...

Pujara stats look incredible but digging a little deeper he seems to be a flat track bully. 12 of 13 centuries in Asia. Only 1 century in 29 innings outside of Asia. Pretty much suggests he can't handle swing/seam/pace

He's still young and has time to turn that round...been a while since he toured england to be fair..

Nathaniel Jacobs wrote:Pujara stats look incredible but digging a little deeper he seems to be a flat track bully. 12 of 13 centuries in Asia. Only 1 century in 29 innings outside of Asia. Pretty much suggests he can't handle swing/seam/pace

Rahane and Murali Vijay are the only two with an impressive all country record including Eng
excluding Eng...Kohli has a good record everywhere

Pujara played County cricket and did well I think

Pujara is an absolute champion on Asian tracks including lively spinning conditions. His hundred in South Africa was total class, but there is not much else overseas for a batsman of his ability. Hopefully he will turn it around... In the current lineup its just Rahane who has a good solid overseas record everywhere, Kohli has an unbelievable record in Australia, pretty good performances in New Zealand and South Africa and a pathetic one in England. Hopefully he'll massively improve on that England record...

As far as the ongoing game is concerned, India continue to dominate. Though they lost Pujara and Rahane in the first session, 50s from Ashwin, Saha and Ravindra Jadeja, with some entertaining hitting from the rest of the order enabled them to declare at 622-9.
Then Ashwin and Jadeja, bowling at a much more suitable pace for the track, kept the ball talking through the 20 overs that the Lankans had to deal with, with the former taking out the Lankan openers in the process. At 50-2, Sri Lanka have their backs against the wall, but their captain Dinesh Chandimal, who always loves a counterpunch in such situation, and young Kusal Mendis would be there resume the fight in the morning, with Angelo Mathews still to come.......

Just read India are set to play Sri Lanka in India within a few weeks. What's the bloody point? India are filling their boots against a truly dreadful side.

Those will be at least 3 tests too many. Happy to see India playing a lot of tests for the last year or so, but anything more than 2 tests against West Indies, or 3 against Sri Lanka in 2 years will be far too many. India played 4 last time in the West Indies for whatever reasons, 3 in this series, another 3 later this year at home. The Sri Lankan side in 2015 was very competitive with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara still around though he didn't make too many in that series, but this side is just not there.......

Well, at least SL putting up more of a fight in the follow-on, as sides asked to bat again usually do. Still a long, long way behind, though.

Yes, finally, eventually we have got a contest. Sri Lanka have turned up, at the last momet, when they had their backs well and truly up against the wall. Having been bowled out for 183 in the first innings, thus conceding aSri Lankan record 439 run lead to India, they lost Upul Taranga early yet again in the 2nd innings. What followed was a remarkable counterattacking, determined partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis. Mendis made a superb 110 before he was done in by Hardik Pandya, while Karunaratne would be there to resume the fight in the morning, 92 not out overnight.
The track by no means, has gone anything near flat, but it was some quality batting from the 2 Lankans. Perhaps Kohli could have brought Pandya onearlier, perhaps he could have attacked a bit more with his 2 main quicks, perhaps he could have blocked out the sweep option for Mendis a bit better. And perhaps, had Shikhar Dhawan taken that chance from Mendis when he was on one, might have led to a 3 day finish. But Dhawan missed it, and not much else can be taken away from the Lankans.......

--It was another terribly one sided test match in the end.
the entire Indian batting line up made merry on a pitch that had plenty for spinners starting from late Day2

---the support looked like having started from late Day 2 only because that's when Indian spinners started to bowl
Implying that the Lankan spinners were mediocre...and that's largely true.....lack of strategy, inability to function as a team unit, superiority of India batting......playing only 1 seamer who broke down half way were all combined factors leading to such a huge differential between sides

--the pitch was a minefield and that India allowed them to get to 400 in their second inning was also inexcusable....
Kohli and others dropped too many catches
Kohli uses Pandya as a bowler only if other 4 have not been able to get wickets...instead of using him equally as one of 5

Pandya is a good package...can bowl seam up at 140kph......can get reverse can mix his pace and bow fast cutters at 124 kph especially on a deteriorated pitch...doesn't let the batsman settle with his nippy frequent bouncers...
gotta be used more regularly and evenly


--Jadeja& Ashwin would know even in their sleep how to exploit a pitch like this....
Jadeja's been banned for the next test on points system, so we will see Kuldeep play.

--while close in catching was shoddy....a word on saha...superb....a case study on how to keep on a pitch with big turn and bounce to quality spinners
very well done

Ones they got through the stubborn Dimuth Karunaratne and took out Chandimal early, Lanka had nowhere to go though they did put up a better effort overall, all the way to the end. But Jadeja in particular, was too much to handle though they did manage to sweep him to distraction at times even today.
Very much agree with KPF, the one area India need to improve significantly is catching. Cricinfo's Siddharth Monga had hinted at the same in an article prior to the test, and as he had hinted there, Captain K is the leading culprit. Though he can be a complete brat at times, he's the ultimate professional as far as his cricket is concerned, and surely Virat would be aware of this particular issue in his game and would be working on it. But the fielding coach has to get his act together, and sort this out quickly.

Been critical of Saha in the past. I still am not convinced by his batting, still remember the unacceptable number of catches he kept dropping in the past. But having seen him play at the top for a while, I now feel that those drops are more of a temperamental issue with Saha. He's been absolutely outstanding on spinning tracks. Pulling off some absolute stunners, and not letting many by runs through. However, on flat tracks where he dropped most of the catches he dropped, seems his focus isn't always there. In fact most of the catches he dropped were of the straightforward type. Temperament more than technique or skill, in the latter category, he's right up there with the best.

Last test and India was forced to replace Jadeja with Chinaman kuldeep and with two on lankan side probably the first time a test match has 3 chinaman bowlers
--the pitch was reported to be green before the start but turned out to be hardly the seamers paradise being reported.
and good toss to win again and bat first foro Kohli.
He needs this luck of tosses when playing tougher teams...he lost 6 out of 8 tosses vs Aus and Eng.

Lankan seamers bolwed at lively pace but without a plan and direction.

--Dahwan is in the form of his life and KL Rahul is one of the best opening batsmen of all times in the making...he is playing below his peak potential and yet averages 47 and scored 7 cosecutive 50s

when he starts converting these 50s to 100s and big hundreds and double 100s he will finish with average 55ish
He is one who will score in all conditions.

--The pitch has turn...ebven when it hasn't deterioated and more important...bounce.....Lankan spinners bowled much better and induced plenty of edges and beat batsman for bounce ...and had Lanka held all their chhances they'd be muhc better placed.

--Great opportunity for Pandya to score a big one with the lower order.....400 is the minimun India should aim for and that won't be a bad total although it seems smaller than the last two tests.
and if Pandya gets going 450 is reachable....

this pitch has more for bowlers than the previous two i sense and Ind is in a healthy situation

KPF, Sandakan is the only Chinaman playing for Lanka right? Pushpakumara is orthodox? Anyways, even 2 Chinaman spinners playing in the same test is a bit of a novelty.

Really, 2 contrasting parts to the first day. Winning the toss and batting, India looked all over Sri Lanka mid -way into the day at 190 for 1. Rahul, against run of play had just got out. That's when I had to leave the TV and go out. When I checked the score, India were son 5 down, and promptly lost another before stumps. The ball was doing a bit, some slowish turn for spinners, bit of reverse for Fernando.
Good fightback from Sri Lanka, but 329 already on the board and with the Lankan batting struggling a bit, India still are driving the game along. But if the Lankans can run through the lower order with Ravindra Jadeja, and restrict them under 360 and then bat well, they still can rest control of the game. Pandya is the key, Saha can be expected to stick around a bit, young Kuldeep can bat. Shami and Umesh are entertainers with the bat and if they come off a bit, that would be good fun, and the score would move along before you realize it. They had all the licence so far in the series, tomorrow might be different and difficult if Sri Lanka can get through Saha-Pandya early...

Well KPF, Pandya has done more than we asked for!! He destroyed the Sri Lankan bowling in a last wicket partnership with Umesh Yadav who had the best seat to watch the carnage, and his most important contribution came when he saw out 4 balls from a Lahiru Kumara over when Pandya was on 99. Hardik started with restraint, reached his 50 in 61 balls without really trying to take the bowling on. He had hit Sandakan for a 6 in that period, but then there was a complete transformation. He savaged Malinda Pushpakumara for 26 in an over, 2 boundaries and 3 sixes back to back. He fell soon after lunch, but India have got 487 on the board, a terrific recovery from 330-7 when Saha fell early in the day, without adding to his overnight 16.

--it was a dream series for India

--Everyone scored runs and every bowler picked wicket......followed on and won last two tests and could have won by innings margin the first test too
Saha would be kicking himself for having missed out on the feast

--lakans can't be so bad.....they seemed to be in some kind of passive resistance/ protest against someone...that i cannot figure out

---Lankan pitches are the most balanced in the world...this series as well as last one I noticed...assist seamers, spinners and batsmen in equal measure.....offer good bounce to those willing to bend their backs.

--India seamers stood out again...shami is superb.....spinners carried on in autopilot

---pandya delivered the potential we believed he had.....kohli needs to bowl him more

Sri Lanka were dire, in every aspect, they need a shake-up starting from domestic cricket..and it has to happen soon..

wisden wrote:Sri Lanka were dire, in every aspect, they need a shake-up starting from domestic cricket..and it has to happen soon..

CF please leave

So it is ODI time now.
And yet again, Sri Lanka find themselves in a pickle in the first ODI. Kohli won the toss and decided to chase. Sri Lanka got a fine start with the openers putting on 74. At one point they were 139-1 at almost 6 an over, and now they are bowled out for 216 in the 44th over! Truly dreadful!

Niroshan Dikwela made a typically enterprising 64, Mendis, Gunathilaka and Mathews got into the 30s. But that's about it.
Axar Patel took 3-34 in his 10. Bumrah took 2-22. But the man with the golden arm of course was Kedar Jadhav who's legendary full-tosses and half-trackers fetched him 2-26 in a very important, eventually turning point moment in the game!

As expected, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are back in the side for India. Interestingly, Kohli decided to experiment with the fastish legspin of Yashvendra Chahal for this game ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. Feel its going to be Kuldeep in the long run, but think they just want to see what the right-arm rist spinner can bring to the table. Unlike Kuldeep, Chahal doesn't really turn the ball that much, his variations are more in terms of pace... Went for plenty, 60 in his 10 overs.

Interesting to note that India's top 2 test seamers or spinners aren't automatic choices for limited over games any more. Ashwin, Jadeja, Shami and Umesh Yadav would find it difficult to make it though the first 3 in particularly have pretty decent overall ODI records. Ashwin and Jadeja are technically rested for this series, but they don't have an automatic place any more to walk back into. Shami might still find his way back in away conditions ahead of one of the spinners. Today it was Hardik Pandya who opened the bowling with Bhuvi Kumar. Shami still can be a great asset with the new ball up front.

India crusing at 208-1 Sri lanka going from bad to worse