Lost flair: On India and its Test cricket

This Independence Day, India would launch a fresh quest for relevance in Test cricket. Having lost at home to New Zealand and South Africa in the past, Shubman Gill’s men no longer sport an invincible air in their backyard. Now having flown past Palk Strait, the two-Test series commencing against Sri Lanka at Galle on Saturday offers India a chance to revive its flagging fortunes in the ICC World Test Championship. Currently, India is placed fifth and Sri Lanka sixth in the rankings, which reflects the middling form of these two outfits. The Men in Blue have done reasonably well in limited overs cricket but when clad in whites the results have been erratic. India, though, will draw some heart from the way it held host England to a 2-2 draw last year; home triumphs against the West Indies and Afghanistan were expected outcomes. Against their rivals from the Emerald Isle, the Indians will be up against spin on pitches tailor-made for the purveyors of the slow art. History reveals that Sri Lankan spinners like Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis at times have ambushed Indian batters. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya needs to be countered at Galle and Colombo. Indian batsmanship has declined against spin over the years.

Coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Gill are shepherding a unit dealing with transition in Tests. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and R. Ashwin have retired. While the selectors overlooked pacer Mohammed Shami, the injury-enforced absence of Jasprit Bumrah is a blow. Much would rest on Mohammed Siraj leading a raw pace attack, and spinner Kuldeep Yadav should get the necessary support. Veteran Ravindra Jadeja and seasoned batter K.L. Rahul remain the few links to a time when India was at its best in Tests. Maverick Rishabh Pant could play a key role while the batting will lean on Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul. Under Dhananjaya de Silva, Sri Lanka would be hoping to spring an upset. With a few good batters such as Dinesh Chandimal, and some keen spinners, the host would aim to punch above its weight and humble the neighbour. This happened first when Kapil Dev’s men visited in 1985, and has been replicated a few times over the last four decades. For India, the latest overseas venture presents an appraisal-window to analyse the likes of Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain. The coming months would offer tougher scrutiny, especially with Australia turning up in early 2027. India has to find its winning flair now.