India recovered impressively after a frustrating opening session to reduce the Sri Lanka Cricket XI to 358/8 at stumps on Day 1 of the warm-up match in Colombo, with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar emerging as the biggest positive ahead of the opening Test. The visitors struggled for rhythm on a placid surface before their spinners, led by Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, wrestled back control in the final two sessions.
The day, however, began with a scare for India after captain Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right ring finger during training and did not take the field. Vice-captain KL Rahul led the side as Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, a decision vindicated by a batting-friendly pitch that offered very little assistance to the seamers early on.
India’s pace attack found little joy with the new ball as Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha dominated the opening session. The pair added 110 runs for the first wicket, scoring freely against Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who struggled to maintain consistent lengths. Madushka was particularly aggressive, striking 66 off 65 balls before India’s only breakthrough before lunch came through a run-out following a mix-up between the two openers.
SL XI vs IND Day 1 Warm-up: Highlights
Rasantha continued to anchor the innings after the interval, while Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha and Ramesh Mendis all made useful contributions as Sri Lanka XI continued to score at a healthy rate. India, though, gradually clawed their way back into the contest. Jadeja broke the second-wicket stand before Suthar dismissed the well-set Rasantha. Kuldeep then struck twice in the final session, while Gurnoor Brar and Jadeja chipped in with wickets to ensure India finished the day on a far stronger note than the opening session had suggested.
SUTHAR MAKES HIS CASE
If one player enhanced his credentials ahead of the opening Test, it was Manav Suthar.
The left-arm spinner looked India’s most disciplined bowler on a surface that demanded patience. After a slightly tentative start, Suthar settled into an impressive rhythm, repeatedly hitting probing lengths while making intelligent use of flight and subtle changes in pace.
His biggest breakthrough came when he deceived Ravindu Rasantha in flight. The well-set opener advanced down the track but failed to get to the pitch of the ball, skewing a simple catch after compiling a composed 71. Suthar later trapped Sonal Dinusha lbw for 52 after India opted for the second new ball, denying the left-hander a bigger score.
While others searched for magic deliveries, Suthar remained committed to his plans. His control over line and length stood out throughout the day, making him arguably India’s biggest positive from the opening day’s play and strengthening his case ahead of the Test series.
KULDEEP FINDS HIS RHYTHM
Kuldeep Yadav would have left the ground with plenty of encouragement despite an expensive start.
The left-arm wrist-spinner has had limited opportunities in Test cricket in recent years and looked eager to make the most of this outing. His opening spell yielded 29 runs in five overs as the Sri Lanka XI batters used their feet confidently against him and disrupted his rhythm.
To Kuldeep’s credit, he responded impressively. He slowed his pace through the air, varied his trajectory and extracted more bounce as his spell progressed. The adjustments brought immediate rewards. Ahan Wickramasinghe top-edged an attempted sweep to short fine leg before Kuldeep trapped Anjala Bandara lbw with a quicker delivery that skidded through immediately after the drinks break.
More than the wickets, it was the intent behind his bowling that stood out. Kuldeep continued to attack despite the unresponsive surface and trusted his variations instead of retreating into defensive lines. It was an encouraging spell from a bowler looking to re-establish himself in India’s Test plans.
Jadeja also claimed two wickets but looked rusty for long periods before finding greater success by attacking the stumps more consistently. Saransh Jain, meanwhile, failed to create the same threat as the other spinners and could find himself behind both Suthar and Kuldeep in the race for a place in the XI.
Among the seamers, Gurnoor Brar finished as India’s standout pacer despite a slow start. The left-armer grew into the contest, dismissed Milan Rathnayake with a well-directed short ball and extracted encouraging movement with the second new ball. Siraj and Prasidh, meanwhile, looked understandably short of rhythm after a lengthy break from red-ball cricket.
Although Sri Lanka XI will be pleased with reaching 358/8, India will take confidence from the way they recovered after a difficult morning. More importantly, Suthar and Kuldeep ensured the visitors walked away from Day 1 with two genuine positives as the battle for places ahead of the first Test begins to intensify.
– Ends
