After the Three Match T20I series vs Sri Lanka it will be time to play the most prestigious form of the game which is Test cricket and over here it can be said that India are favorites to sweep the series 2-0 as it is thought that the Sri Lankan team will not be able to pose a substantial challenge to the great Indian test squad especially at the home of India but hopefully we all are proved wrong by Sri Lanka when the series happens.
The 2 match test series against Sri Lanka will start from 4th March after the three match T20I series which will end on 27th February so both the teams will get ample amount of time to prepare for the red ball format of the game so it can be hoped that Sri Lanka will give a fierce competition to India and not just fold over like most teams do when they play in India. The first test match will be held at the PCA stadium in Mohali from 4th to 8th March and the second test match will be a day night test match and it will be held in Bangalore from 12th to 16th March. Let’s look at the players that can make an impact in this test series.
India -
Virat Kohli:
This series will be important for Virat Kohli for a number of reasons and he will easily be the player that will be the most watched as to how he does in this series in his first test series not as full time test captain since 2014 so it’s been a long time and also when they play in Mohali, it will be the 100th Test match for this modern day great and he would look to make a substantial impression with the bat and break his deadlock of getting that elusive 71st international hundred. If he does well in this series then the future of Indian cricket will look very bright.
Shubman Gill:
After the ouster of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara who have given yeoman service to Indian cricket for a number of years , it is time to look into the future and here Shubman Gill comes into the picture as it is almost certain that he will play in the middle order from now onwards and it will be a new responsibility for and he will look to do extremely well and cement his place in the Indian test team going forward. So, it is a very important series for the young Shubman Gill.
Jasprit Bumrah:
Jasprit Bumrah has not played so much test matches at home and so a lot of eyes will be on him to see how he does in home conditions and he is also the vice captain of the Indian team for this test series so the added responsibility might make him more deadly so the Sri Lankan batters have to be beware of him and the Indian fans will be hoping that he picks a lot of wickets in the series.
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Like was the case with the T20I series , Sri Lanka’s test squad has not been announced yet but we can still look at the players that might make the cut for the Indian series. Firstly the captain Dimuth Karunaratne who is the best batter in the team and a good leader will be crucial to the chances of Sri Lanka in this series. Lahiru Thirumane will be one of the key batters in this series as well. All rounders such as Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga will provide stability to the team as they perform both departments and bowlers like Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal will provide the pace needed in the attack. A good test team but how will they fare against the Indian team at home remains to be seen.
