First Test: Kings of Galle out to test Shubman Gill & Co’s staying power

Come Saturday, perhaps the most intriguing spin duel in Tests in recent times is set to unfold at the Sri Lankan fort city of Galle. Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, the two smiling assassins who have made the picturesque venue their happy hunting ground, will seek to exploit an Indian batting line-up’s recent susceptibility to spin.

Shubman Gill’s men, on the other hand, will look to match them blow for blow with a three-pronged left-arm spin combination comprising veteran Ravindra Jadeja, chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav and youngster Manav Suthar. The toss, under the circumstances, could play a key role, while the Indian batters will need to do much better than they did when they capitulated against South Africa at home last year.

What makes Prabath and Ramesh the ‘Kings of Galle’ in a country that has produced the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath? Both have enjoyed phenomenal success at the venue, claiming 145 wickets between them. Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya has taken 81 wickets in just 11 Tests, while off-spinner Mendis has 64 from 12 matches. 

The aura around Indian batters as accomplished players of spin has waned in recent times, with left-arm Kiwi spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel troubling them before South African off-spinner Simon Harmer wreaked havoc, claiming 17 wickets in the two-Test series in Kolkata and Guwahati. India will therefore expect plenty from Gill, who missed a large part of the series against the Proteas with a neck injury, senior pro KL Rahul and a stayer such as Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel.

Former Sri Lankan spinner Upul Chandana has a word of caution for India. “Jayasuriya has quickly become Sri Lanka’s top spinner. He largely bowls in the conventional way; you know, he hardly gives any freedom to the batsmen. If the pitch has a different bounce on it, then his accuracy will be very helpful.”

Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Farvez Maharoof, meanwhile, explained Jayasuriya’s remarkable record at Galle. “Prabath Jayasuriya is going to be the main weapon. We have nicknamed him the ‘King of Galle’ because of the number of wickets he has taken there. He knows how to bowl with the wind, and the wind is going to be a major factor in Galle because of the drift the spinners can generate,” Maharoof said.

Speaking to Indian media on Thursday, bowling coach Morne Morkel all but confirmed the possibility of a three-pronged spin attack, depending on conditions. “It’s just how Gill is going to use those guys at certain times,” Morkel said. “In terms of skill, they’ve got the skill to take the 20 wickets for us.”

The key to this combination is that the three left-armers offer distinctly different threats. Jadeja is capable of bowling long, accurate spells and building pressure on a relatively inexperienced Sri Lankan batting line-up. Newcomer Manav Suthar, by contrast, gets more turn and offers a different trajectory, while Kuldeep’s wrist-spin provides India with the attacking dimension that neither of the orthodox left-arm spinners naturally offers.

“I’m not sure it’s a massive concern for us,” Morkel said of playing three left-arm spinners. “One turns a bit more, one is slightly more accurate.”

“Traditionally also, if you look at the venue, how it stacks up and how it’s been played, that’s sort of the way to go,” he added.

Catch the match

 First Test: Sri Lanka vs India

 Venue: Galle International Stadium

 Start: 10 am IST