IND vs SL 2nd Test Preview: India eye 15th consecutive series win at home

India vs Sri Lanka: India would take the field aiming for a first Test series win for captain Rohit Sharma and 15th consecutive Test series win at home. India haven't lost a series at home since 2013

It has been 10 years since India lost a Test series at home as England on their tour of 2012-13 was the last foreign team to have beaten India in India in a Test series. Since then, the Indian team have won 14 consecutive Test series at home. With a win or even a draw against Sri Lanka in the second Test starting on Saturday, March 12, 2022, the home team would register its 15th consecutive Test series victory at home soil. 

The Test would also present Rohit Sharma with an opportunity to register his first series win as India's full-time Test captain and brace himself for a season that would witness a strong Australian team travelling to India in September this year. 

Virat Kohli's 71st ton in focus

The second Ind-Sl Test will be a day-night Test and be held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which is considered a second home ground for former India captain Virat Kohli who has spent most of his time in his 15-year long IPL journey at this very venue. Now, looking for his 71st international century since 16 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and a total of 28 months, Kohli would want nothing else but to utilise his understanding of the Bengaluru pitch to bring his 71st century and break the deadlock that has persisted since two and a half years now. 

Virat Kohli at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Format	Matches	Runs	Hundreds	Fifties
Tests	03	181	01	01
ODIs	06	152	00	01
T20Is	05	116	00	01
IPL	75	2346	03	16

Last Test for Suranga Lakmal

While Virat Kohli of India would still be trying to get his 71st Test ton, for Sri Lanka's Suranga Lakmal, it would be his last international appearance in the Sri Lankan colours and the fast bowler, who is now moving to greener pastures in county cricket. Lakmal has improved heaps and bounds in his test cricket career, achieving an average of 25.15 in 26 Tests that he played between 2018-21, picking 72 wickets in them. 

Thus in his last Test, the 35-year-old, who started his career in 2010 against West Indies and who has so far played 69 Tests for Sri Lanka, picking 170 wickets, would look to leave a lasting impression. 

Problem of Plenty for Rohit Sharma and India

The Indian captain Rohit Sharma would have his hands full as he would look to pick the Playing 11 for the 2nd India vs Sri Lanka Test in Bengaluru. Axar Patel, the left-arm spinner, who performed exceptionally well in the Test series against England last year is fit once again and has been added to the squad. Thus dropping him wouldn't be a good idea. But at the same time, Mohammad Siraj is a gem of a Pink ball bowler, so he can also be included in the XI but the place in the team is the only one, that will be vacated by Jayant Yadav. Thus Rohit would have to make a smart decision. 

Plenty of problems for Sri Lanka

While India have a problem of plenty, Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunratne on the other hand has plenty of problems to solve as Dushmantha Chameera and even Pathum Nissnka might not be available for the second Test and Lahiru Kumara has already been ruled out. In such circumstances, Karunratnbe would have to go back to Dinesh Chandimal as a replacement for Nissanka and would have to rely on only two pacers in Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando and draft in Praveen Jayawickrama in the Playing 11 to bowl in tandem with Lasith Embuldeniya. 

India vs Sri Lanka M Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report

The venue has so far hosted 23 Tests with the team batting first winning nine Tests and the one batting second winning five Tests nine Tests ending in a draw. The pitch is generally flat and high scoring at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. But due to this being a day-night Test, some movement will be on offer for the bowlers with the pink ball initially till it softens out. 

Ind vs Sl Bengaluru Weather Update and Toss

Apart from Sunday, which could be a bit cloudy, all five days, right from March 12 i.e. Saturday, March 16 i.e. Wednesday, all five days of the Test match, if it lasts till five days because no day-night Test so far in India have lasted five days, will have no weather interference in terms of rain. Thus a captain can choose to field first without any doubt. There will be dew and plenty of it at that as well, but since the Test match will go on till 09:00 pm only, hence it's effect will be minimised. 

India Predicted Playing 11

Rohit Sharma(c), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj/ Axar Patel

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing 11

Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Vishwa Fernando

India Test Squad vs Sri Lanka

Rohit Sharma(c), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Priyank Panchal, Srikar Bharat, Saurabh Kumar

Sri Lanka Test Squad vs India

Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dinesh Chandimal, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dushmantha Chameera