After a successful T20I series, India is all set to host Sri Lanka in a two-match test series, the first of which will take place on the 4th of March, 2022 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.
India will be looking to start a new chapter under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, who was recently announced as the captain of the Indian squad across all formats. His tactical approach to the game will be interesting to witness in the longer format. This match will also be the 100th test match for Virat Kohli, who will be hoping to turn his form around and start the flow of runs one more time.
Sri Lanka on the other hand will be looking to get a positive result as they were completely whitewashed in the T20I series. Will they be able to step up to the Indian onslaught? Only time will tell.
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Pitch Report
IS Bindra Stadium, home of the Punjab Cricket Association, is a batting-friendly venue. Swing bowlers may benefit in the early stages of the game, while spinners may come in helpful in the latter half.
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Probable XI
India
Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Charith Asalanka
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Players to Watch
Virat Kohli
He is all set to start in the 100th test match of his career and what better chance for him to get the run machine started. He has not scored a century in almost two years and we expect him to put on a show for the fans who will be allowed to witness the legend in action.
Rohit Sharma
The new Test skipper will be looking to show his Test prowess and with the pitch favoring batters, we expect to see the pull shots in full effect. He has been relishing his leadership role and we expect to see that seep into his batting and some huge runs as a result.
Pathum Nissanka
He is one of the best batters on the Sri Lankan side and has scored 427 runs in the 6 test matches that he has played so far and we expect to see him try and get some big runs in the upcoming match. He was not allowed to settle down in the T20 matches, but the longer format should allow him some breathing room to get settled in and start scoring.
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Fantasy Lineup No.1
Wicket Keeper – Rishab Pant
Batters – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne
All-Rounders – Ravichandran Ashwin, Chamika Karunaratne
Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Dushmantha Chameera, Mohammed Siraj, Lahiru Kumara
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Fantasy Lineup No.2
Wicket Keeper – Rishab Pant, Dinesh Chandimal
Batters – Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Pathum Nissanka (vc)
All-Rounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Dhananjaya de Silva
Bowlers – Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test – Predicted Winner
Test matches are usually hard to predict, but in this case, the gulf in quality between the two sides is just too high and so, we expect Team India to pick up a win.
