India look to conquer Lanka, again
NO LET UP After crushing the islanders 90 across formats this year, India will look to extend streak in home series
KOLKATA: It could be hard talking about cricket during unseasonal November rain especially if experience and ability are parameters to evaluate India and Sri Lanka.
The home team is eyeing its ninth consecutive Test series victory while Sri Lanka go into the first Test at Eden Gardens beginning on Thursday looking for a maiden win against India.
But team sport has enough examples of underdogs winning the day --- Iraq trumping the best in the 2007 Asian Cup football tournament, Denmark doing that in Europe in 1992 and the USA’s ice hockey team denying Soviet Union the men’s Olympic goal in 1980.
Who’s to say that Dinesh Chandimal’s Sri Lanka aren’t capable of something similar? “We are more confident than the last series after winning against Pakistan,” was the Sri Lanka skipper’s measured response at Eden Gardens.
On a Wednesday so wet that it forced the teams to stay indoors, respect for India was the leitmotif of Chandimal’s interaction with the media.
But he also said lessons from the home series loss, such as the need to play five bowlers and keep up energy levels while fielding, have been well learnt as was evident from the away win against Pakistan. Yes, allrounder Angelo Mathews will play only as a batsman but he will be promoted to No. 4, he said.
Interest in these Tests may be tepid but for skipper Virat Kohli and his band that doesn’t matter. “Winning is the most important thing. We are not differentiating in terms of where we are playing, whom we are playing... We just want to play good cricket as team. If you play good cricket, results take care of each other anywhere in the world,” said Kohli.
Before India embark on the tour of South Africa, this series could be a pit-stop to fine-tune team parts. There is the threeway battle between Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul for the two opening batsmen’s slots.
There could also be the search for a bowling or middle-order batting talent that could be the key to winning abroad. There will also be the situation of tackling leftarm spinner Rangana Herath, albeit on a wicket that could aid pacers.
Having shown they can do all that away from home, India will need to do that again. “It is not like if we lose the series and you guys are going to say nothing to us,” said Kohli.
It seems India keen that Sri Lanka put up a fight. Because that would give them an opportunity to “embrace playing in difficult conditions.” Trying to win a Test despite losing playing time could be one.