Now Reading: Gill fit, Padikkal shines as India ring changes for Sri Lanka Test
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Gill fit, Padikkal shines as India ring changes for Sri Lanka Test
India beat Sri Lanka XI by six wickets in a three-day warm-up match ahead of the first Test in Galle starting August 15. Captain Shubman Gill eased fitness fears with a fluent…
The Story in Brief
India beat Sri Lanka XI by six wickets in a three-day warm-up match ahead of the first Test in Galle starting August 15. Captain Shubman Gill eased fitness fears with a fluent 44 after missing two days. Devdutt Padikkal scored an unbeaten 142 to almost seal the No. 3 spot after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out. Spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar all took wickets. Rishabh Pant managed only 2 and 28, sparking doubts about his place. Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof backed him as a match-winner. He also tipped uncapped pacer Gurnoor Brar as a potential X-factor with pace and bounce. The selection for the final XI remains open between Brar, off-spinner Saransh Jain, and Suthar.
The Indian Opinion
The talk of an 'X-factor' player is a symptom of how much Indian cricket loves a new face. Both Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar have done well in limited chances, but picking either is a gamble. Rishabh Pant's two low scores in a warm-up game have been taken as proof of a decline. That is lazy analysis. The only number that matters is what Pant does in Galle from August 15. Until then, every pundit’s pick is just guesswork.
Sources (3): sports.ndtv.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
