India face selection ‘dilemma’

Kohli backs all-rounder Pandya

GALLE, Sri Lanka, July 30, (Agencies): India’s thrashing of Sri Lanka in the first Test has left captain Virat Kohli with a “massive” yet welcome headache as he ponders his team selection for the next match.

India dominated the first Test from the outset to win by 304 runs with a day to spare in Galle.

The tourist’s top order batsmen fared well, with Shikhar Dhawan making 190 in the first innings and fellow opener Abhinav Mukund contributing a quickfire 81 in the second.

Chatesh Pujara also blasted 153 batting at three in the first innings while Kohli chipped in with an unbeaten 103 batting at four in the second.

The success of the top four batsmen however leaves Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri with a dilemma ahead of the second Test, starting in Colombo on Thursday.

Regular opener Lokesh Rahul missed the match in Galle because he was suffering from the flu but is expected to be available for the next game, meaning someone has to miss out.

“Yes, it’s a very tricky situation,” Kohli admitted. “We’ve got all four openers firing now.

“Shikhar was supposed to go to Melbourne, now he’s got a 190 in Galle. So, anything can happen in life.

“It’s a massive headache but I guess a good one. You know, eventually guys understand that only two can take the field and at most two or three openers make the squad.”

Kohli was careful not to pre-empt any picks and hoped whoever missed out would not be too disappointed.

“We’ll have to eventually take a call on who plays in the next Test and I’m sure the third guy will understand whatever the call is taken by the team,” the skipper said.

Dhawan was a late inclusion for the series opener, replacing the injured Murali Vijay, but made the most of his chance with his career-high 190.

“My plans were to go to Melbourne and spend time with my family, do training and get fit for the one-day series,” he said.

“I was in Hong Kong actually on holiday and from there I flew back to India and joined the team. That was my plan and I think destiny had a different plan for me.”

Kohli was also happy with the bowlers’ performance, particularly Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. The Galle pitch favoured

India’s captain Virat Kohli (right), and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane react to a teammate during the fourth day of their first Test cricket match against Sri Lanka in Galle,

Sri Lanka on July 29. (AP)

batting, with India piling on 600 and 240-3, but the Indians twice bowled out the home side for less than 300.

“We are able to capitalise in those situations and really put more pressure on the opposition,” Kohli said.

“I would say that we really exectuted our plans well to force the opposition to make mistakes regularly.”

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Rangana Herath insisted his team were better than the lopsided result of the first test indicated.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has the potential to become India’s Ben Stokes and improve the balance of the side, captain Virat Kohli said after the 23-year-old’s encouraging test debut in the win against Sri Lanka.

England’s Stokes is widely regarded the best fast-bowling all-rounder in the world with his match-winning prowess with both bat and ball.

“When you play away from home, one guy (all-rounder) gives you a lot of balance, and I think Hardik can be that guy going ahead, specially playing so much cricket away from home,” Kohli told reporters after India’s 304-run win on Saturday.

“If he grows in confidence — you see someone like Ben Stokes, what he does for England. Brings in great balance as an all-rounder. I see no reason why Hardik Pandya can’t become that for India.”

In his first innings in tests, Pandya scored 50 off 49 deliveries, his knock studded with five fours and three sixes. The medium paceman took one wicket in Sri Lanka’s first innings but looked more dangerous during a hostile spell in the second when he peppered the hosts’ batsmen with short deliveries. saw the ball fly low off the face to Root at second slip.

Replays confirmed the catch and Amla, caught behind off RolandJones for six as the Middlesex seamer took five for 57 in the Proteas’ meagre first innings 175, was on his way.

It was a far cry from five years ago at The Oval when Amla, now 34, struck South Africa’s Test-record score of 311 not out.

Proteas dangerman Quinton de Kock only managed five before he was bowled by an excellent Stokes yorker.

Next ball South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, padded up to a Stokes delivery that cut back sharply and was lbw for a golden duck.

Du Plessis, who’d fallen in similar fashion to James Anderson for just one in the first innings, reviewed but to no avail.

South Africa were now 52 for four, having lost three wickets for five runs in eight balls.

Durham all-rounder Stokes was on a hat-trick at the start of his next over. Bavuma denied him that prize before left-handed opener Elgar completed a 77-ball fifty.

The only thing missing for England on a great day was a wicket for birthday boy Anderson, their all-time most successful Test bowler, 35 on Sunday.

England resumed Sunday on 74 for one, already a lead of 252.

Keaton Jennings was 34 not out and Tom Westley, one of three debutants in the XI, 28 not out.

South Africa-born Jennings, under pressure for his place after a run of low scores, fell for 48 when caught in the gully off fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

Meanwhile, number three Westley demonstrated many of the grafting qualities England were accused of lacking during a huge 340-run defeat in the second Test at Trent Bridge.

He completed a maiden Test fifty when he clipped towering quick Morne Morkel off his pads for a ninth boundary in 119 balls.

Westley (59) and Root (50) both fell to Keshav Maharaj after lunch as the left-arm spinner took two for none in four balls.

But Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, with a run-a-ball fifty, kept the runs coming.