Without Jasprit Bumrah, India are without a sure-shot playing XI starter when they face Sri Lanka in the first Test of a two-match series. Every Test match that India plays from now on (there are nine of them) will be crucial for the side’s chances of qualifying for the 2027 World Test Championship final. Ahead of the match, recently-retired Ajinkya Rahane gave his verdict on the choice of the second seamer for the first Test. The opening Test will be played in Galle, and Rahane said the role of a third seamer could be very limited.
“One of the two pacers in the playing XI is guaranteed to be Siraj. The second fast bowler should be Auqib Nabi if the conditions are pacer-friendly. If the wicket appears to be on the drier side, Prasidh Krishna, with his pace, can be more useful as the second pacer. Once the pitch flattens, he can be valuable in implementing the short-ball theory or the around-the-wicket strategy,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.
“Without Bumrah, Siraj will have the most responsibility on his shoulders. Conditions in Sri Lanka can be tricky to read. That’ll be the most important thing for the team management. Still, a green wicket will be rare in Sri Lanka. With that in mind, three spinners and two pacers would be ideal,” he added.
Bowling coach Morne Morkel on Thursday indicated that India could field three left-arm spinners in the upcoming first Test against Sri Lanka, as Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja offer unmatched variety and wicket-taking ability.
Kuldeep brings magic and mystery through his left-arm wrist spin, Jadeja’s pinpoint accuracy can trouble even the best batters, while Suthar is a throwback to the days of classical left-arm spin.
“Kuldeep is there, and he’s the attacking sort of bowler. For us, his experience and class cannot be overlooked. So yeah, I think for us they’re all different in their own way,” Morkel told the media on Thursday.
“So one (Suthar) turns it a bit more, one (Jadeja) is slightly more accurate, and I don’t think it’s a massive concern for us.
“It’s just about how Gill is going to use those guys at certain times. But yeah, in terms of skill, they’ve got the ability to take 20 wickets for us,” he added.
Morkel said India’s spin line-up gives them a very attacking option, especially considering the nature of the Galle pitch, which may favour spin as the match progresses.
With PTI inputs
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