Colombo Test: Kohli faces opening problem, India aim to seal series vs Sri Lanka

Indias cricket captain Virat Kohli plays with a soccer ball as he attends a training session ahead of their second test cricket match with Sri Lanka in Colombo Sri Lanka Tuesday Aug 1 2017 PicAPPTISkipper Virat Kohli is faced with a problem of plenty in the opening slot but that is unlikely to come in the way of Indias rampaging run when they attempt to seal the series against Sri Lanka in the second Test starting here tomorrowIndia were without the services of regular opener K L Rahul in the opening Test at Galle as he was laid low by viral feverHowever his absence didnt affect the teams performance and the visitors won the match by a massive 304 runs to open with a bang in the threematch seriesRahul has recovered amply and if he is successful in proving his fitness for the energysapping humid conditions predicted during this Test the tossup will be between Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund for the second openers slotDhawan had smacked his fifth Test hundred at Galle scoring 190 off 168 balls a knock that put India in command on day one itselfMukund did score his second Test halfcentury in the second innings but it could be a case of too little too late for the Tamil Nadu openerIf Rahul is fit Mukund will be expectedly left out a strange happenstance because he was the original backup opener in this Test squad ahead of DhawanInterestingly India had faced the opening dilemma even the last time they played here Both Dhawan and Murali Vijay were out injured two years ago and Rahul had opened with PujaraFor the hosts the task ahead is as onerous as it was in the first Test The gap in Test rankings no1 to no7 highlighted the difference in quality of the two sides and the result from Galle has only widened this gulfIt is a far cry from 12 months ago when this same Sri Lankan side blanked Australia 30 Perhaps the pitches were vastly different in that series and if so Lanka should be concerned againThere is some good news ahead of this second Test for the injuryridden side as their skipper Dinesh Chandimal has recovered from pneumonia and will be available for this gameHe is a mercurial batsman who put the Indian attack to the sword with a blistering 162 off 169 balls at Galle in 2015 It had stirred a stunning turnaround and Lanka will be hoping for similar inspiration from him once againSeasoned batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has also been called up as replacement for injured Asela Gunaratne who broke his left thumb whilst fielding on day one of the first Test and was ruled out of the remainder of the seriesThirimanne had last played Test cricket for Lanka against England in 2016 and on his comeback trail scored 59 runs in the twoday warmup game India played in Colombo before the first TestLeftarm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan has been brought into the squad as backup for Rangana Herath The leftarm spinner standin skipper at Galle last week had injured his left hand whilst fielding too during the first TestAlthough scans revealed no breakage his hand was swollen as a result of which he didnt bat in the second Lankan innings He is expected to undergo a fitness Test today to ascertain his availability for the gameWhile his prospective absence will be a big blow to Lankas hopes of pulling one back in the series it will also give them an opportunity to hand a maiden Test cap to leftarm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara touted widely as Heraths longterm replacementThe hosts boast a mixed record against India at this particular ground with eight Tests between the two countries yielding four drawsBoth teams have won two matches each with India winning the last encounter here in 2015 by 117 runsIt was a greentop wicket in the last Test of that series and Cheteshwar Pujara as makeshift opener had scored a magnificent 145 not out in the first innings to shepherd Indias victorySince then Pujara has reverted to his traditional no3 role and now returns to this ground to play his 50th TestInterestingly R Ashwin had crossed that same milestone in GalleIndias victory here in 2015 also puts into context their last Test win at this ground It was way back in 1993 when under Mohammad Azharuddin India won by 235 runs and subsequently took the series 10The gap between the two series wins was 22 years something coach Ravi Shastri underlined yesterdayThe 2015 win came in nearsimilar subcontinental conditions against a comparatively weaker Lankan side and the challenge for Kohlis men is to repeat their series win here and drive home the coachs pointIt could prove to be an easier task here at the SSC than in 2015 As opposed to the green top last time around the wicket for this second Test could be a replica of the one in Galle albeit with a bit more bounceYesterday the groundsmen were busy shaving off grass as well as rolling the pitch At best they might leave a sprinkling of green to just hold it together a factor that will not alter Indias eleven from the first TestThe visitors continue to sit atop the ICC Test ranking charts and would once again be runaway favourites heading into this second Test