India aim to keep depleted SL down
NIDAHAS TROPHY Hosts to miss skipper Chandimal, Thisara Perera to lead side
COLOMBO: India, having bounced back against Bangladesh after losing to Sri Lanka in the opener, meet the hosts who failed to defend 214 against the Mahmudullah-led side on Saturday. The result of the India-Sri Lanka clash on Monday will give a clearer picture of which team is in pole position for the final. The Rohit Sharma-led side realises that and in the practice session on Sunday, India trained with lot of intensity.
Suresh Raina worked hard on his batting. After batting in the nets, he had throw-down session with batting coach Sanjay Bangar and then the bowling machine. The one-hour session showed Raina’s urgency, having managed scores of 15,31,43,1 and 28 since his comeback in the South Africa series.
Deepak Hooda batted for close to 40 minutes. The 22-year-old Baroda batsman who is yet to play for India was tested against the short ball and the way he coped with it pleased Bangar.
KL Rahul went through the drills and the frustration of not being selected perhaps reflected as he furiously tapped the bat on his pads when he missed a shot. The session for Hooda might be an indication he could make his debut on Monday in place of Rishabh Pant, who managed just 23 and 7 in the first two games.
Sri Lanka did not train and could go into the game low on confidence.
The hosts have been dealt a major blow with their skipper Dinesh Chandimal suspended for two games for a slow over-rate offence. Chandimal will miss the team’s final league game against Bangladesh on March 16 too. In Chandimal’s absence, Thisara Perera will lead the side.
Although the bowlers have struggled, Sri Lanka batsmen, led by Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis, have been in wonderful form. The performances of these two batsmen have been the only plus for the side. If Sri Lanka are to win on a regular basis, they must do well with the ball.