Former Sri Lankan Cricketer Warns of India's 150-Run Scoring Threat
Farveez Maharoof, a former Sri Lanka all-rounder, believes India could opt for three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar potentially getting the nod ahead of uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain.
Sri Lanka is preparing for a tough battle against India in the opening Test, with the visitors expected to field a balanced attack comprising three spinners and two seamers. Maharoof expects India to rely heavily on spin, with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the likely first-choice spinners.
The bigger selection question is who joins them in the XI. Maharoof feels Suthar could have an advantage because of his ability to extract bounce from the surface. Sri Lankan pitches can offer assistance to spinners through bounce rather than simply producing substantial turn, making that quality particularly useful.
Suthar made an impressive start to his international career, claiming seven wickets on his debut against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Jain is yet to make his India debut but has also put himself in contention after touring Sri Lanka with India A.
Maharoof believes Suthar's ability to generate bounce could outweigh the benefit of having an off-spinner for variation. He would not be surprised if Manav Suthar plays because his ability to get bounce off the surface could be very handy in Galle.
India will be without the retired Ravichandran Ashwin and injured Washington Sundar for the first Test. This could lead to a more aggressive approach from the visitors, with Maharoof warning Sri Lanka about India's potential to score 150 runs in a session.
The former Sri Lanka all-rounder expects India to go into the Test with a balanced attack. He warns Sri Lanka about Rishabh Pant, who he believes is a major threat for the hosts. Despite Pant's modest returns in India's three-day warm-up game in Colombo, Maharoof believes those scores should not give Sri Lanka any confidence ahead of the Test.
Pant scored just two and 28 in the match, which India won by six wickets. However, Maharoof believes those scores should not give Sri Lanka any confidence ahead of the Test, given Pant's ability to transform a match within a short period.
India is expected to face Sri Lanka in the opening Test on [insert date]. The match is set to be a closely contested battle, with both teams looking to gain an early advantage in the series.
Source: Yahoo Sports