India returns to the SSC grounds for the second Test against Sri Lanka with vivid memories of the match that saw them make the turnaround towards their current golden run in Test cricket where they find themselves ranked number one.
It was two years ago that Virat Kohli in his first series as captain won the third and final Test played here to clinch the three-match series 2-1. That win marked a remarkable run for India in Test cricket that has seen them reel off six consecutive series victories.
Kohli was all praise for the SSC pitch which he described as “great”.
“I had a look at the wicket yesterday, I haven't seen it today (Wednesday) yet. Looked pretty nice and hard underneath with a good covering of grass,” said Kohli.
“The last time around as well, we thought it was a great wicket for Test cricket. Batsmen had to apply themselves to get runs; bowlers were in the game throughout. It is a wicket that you will get a result on for sure.
“That excites us, it's something that we look forward to as a team and this is the kind of wicket that we always like to play on, where we have a chance to make an impact on the game throughout. I really enjoyed playing here last time, and I think it's a great wicket for Test cricket,” he said.
Although Kohli didn’t commit himself to naming the Indian squad he confirmed that Lokesh Rahul would return to the side to open the batting. Rahul was sidelined for the Galle Test by a viral fever and in his place Abhinav Mukund played opening the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.
“Obviously KL has been our established opener. I feel one of the openers will have to make way for KL because, what he's done in the past two years for us has been very solid, and he deserves to come back and start fresh in Test cricket again,” said Kohli.
“Again, that's up to discussions. We have a team meeting later on, after practice. We'll be able to clarify that then, but yes, according to me KL will definitely come back into the eleven.”
To make way for Rahul, one of the openers at Galle will have to stand down.
“I feel in a situation like this, you need to sit down and think which player has had more impact on the game. Who has been able to sort of make that difference in the game straight away,” said Kohli. “It all depends on who has had a better game, to be honest. It’s a pretty thin line, it is a very small margin but unfortunately, that is how the sport goes sometimes.”
The lessons India learnt from the Galle Test victory are few and far between.
“One thing we need to be aware of is when there is a partnership or something happening, then we need to have more composure and more discipline at times. But there always will be a few scratches here and there when you are playing Test cricket after March,” said Kohli.
“It is always nice to understand what are the things you lack in and build some momentum as the series progresses. Yesterday’s (Tuesday) practice was really good, the guys were hitting their areas really well and I am pretty confident that those areas that we identified in the first game, we will be able to rectify and move ahead and actually improve on those things starting from this game.”
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