The second Test between Sri Lanka and India will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 onwards. This test will be part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC 2027) cycle as both India and Sri Lanka are vying for a place in the final of the tournament.
India held the upper hand in the first Test, securing a comfortable victory, with their batters adapting better to the Sri Lankan pitches as their spinners struggled to make an impact in the first innings. On the other hand, Sri Lanka batters found it hard to deal with the Indian spin trio. In anticipation of another exciting contest, let’s take a look at the 5 Indian players to watch out for in the second Test.
5 Indian players to watch out for in the second SL vs IND Test:
5. Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel batted brilliantly in the Indian first innings when the visitors had lost a few wickets in quick succession. He batted with the tail, adding an important 50-plus-run partnership with Manav Suthar. He scored 51 runs and has seemingly done well enough to keep his place for the second Test.’
Jurel knows that now he has the pressure to perform with Sarfaraz Khan breathing down his neck for the no. 6 spot. He batted well under pressure, scoring his fifty in 68 balls and pushing the Indian score beyond the 420-run mark.
4. Manav Suthar
Mana Suthar has done well with both the bat and the ball in this Test. Coming off a brilliant maiden Test against Afghanistan, Suthar picked four wickets in the first innings against Sri Lanka. He had batted well to score 24 runs and added valuable runs with Dhruv Jurel.
He started his bowling with an absolute peach to remove Dinesh Chandimal and then kept the pressure on the Sri Lankan batters. He finished with the bowling figures of 4/76 in 21.2 overs, helping India restrict Sri Lanka to 284 in the first innings. Later, in the second innings, he scalped a six-wicket haul, making it a 10-wicket match haul.
3. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill had a poor outing in the first Test for India against Sri Lanka in Galle. He managed only 16 runs and 8 runs in the two innings of the Test, despite showing great technique and composure. The second Test match will be a crucial one for Shubman Gill, as India will want their captain to lead them from the front with the bat.
His captaincy, field placings and bowling changes were top-notch in the first Test. However, with the bat, Shubman Gill needs to do more. He has scored 2969 runs in 41 Tests with 11 centuries and 8 fifties at an average of 44.31 with the best score of 269. Gill needs to show why he is regarded as the best batter in India today.
2. Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant entertained the viewers in both innings of the first Test match with both the keeping gloves and the bat. He made 39 and 66 in the two innings of the Test match and also kept wickets well, including taking a sharp catch of Dinesh Chandimal off the bowling of Manav Suthar.
Pant’s 39 in the first innings was a bit scratchy, but his 66 in the second innings showed why he is an exciting player, as he went after the bowling. He hit two sixes, becoming the fastest to hit 100 sixes in Tests and the first from India and Asia to achieve this feat.
1. Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal had an excellent Test match with the bat. He hit his maiden century in Tests, scoring 167 runs with 15 fours and one six in 230 balls. His knock helped India post 462 runs in the first innings. He continued the good form in the second innings as well, scoring 44 in 75 balls with 6 fours. He has made sure to cement his place at no. 3 in the India XI for the foreseeable future.
Padikkal impressed one and all with his batting against spinners on pitches offering spin. He attacked the spinners despite the fear of the ball spinning a lot and defended well, respecting the fact that the bowler had the upper hand in the battle.
