Team India are all set to face the final Lankan challenge at Bengaluru on March 12. After hammering the visitors 3-0 with the white ball and a historic victory at Mohali with the red ball, the stage is finally set for the pink hue to grace the M Chinnaswamy stadium. India has hosted only 2 Day/Night Test matches so far and hence it will be exciting to how both the teams tackle the pink challenge.
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The 1st Test in Mohali was a complete show of dominance from Rohit Sharma and his troops as Sri Lanka was no match to the hosts. Jadeja‘s batting masterclass of 175* followed by his 9 wicket haul with the red cherry, was more than enough to bulldoze the Lankan team in the longest format of the game. The 1st Test ended in just 3 days . Therefore, players got an additional break to recover and replenish their vigor. Hence, the visitors will go all out in Bengaluru and play for their pride. Karunaratne and his men will hope to end the series on a positive note and henceforth look forward to bettering their chances in the ongoing WTC campaign.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will expect his comrades to keep up with the consistency and improve their record in D/N Tests. In contrast to the red ball, pink balls bring in an extra dare to the batters during dusk when the visibility of the ball diminishes slightly. Therefore, the seamers will have an edge bowling under lights, experts predict a cracking contest between the bat and ball.
Pitch And Conditions
Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022- Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Time: 2:00 pm IST
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Pitch Report: The Chinnaswamy track is a haven for batters as the ground dimensions are small and fast outfield assists the players to score big. The pitch will be dry and have a smattering of dead grass. Hence, Spinners will find more turn and will play pivotal roles for their respective teams. However, the seamers might get a bit of swing upfront but will have to work like a Trojan as the match will progress.
Weather Forecast: It’s pre-summer time in Bengaluru and the weather condition is expected to be mostly sunny. Little dew might settle in during the evening but it will expectedly have a negligible effect as each day will have stumps at 9 pm. There is no forecast of precipitation but Day2 might be played under a cloudy sky.
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Live Telecast and Streaming Details
The match will begin at 2:00 pm IST. Fans can enjoy live action by tuning into Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi channels or can also watch the live stream online on the Disney+Hotstar app.
India Vs Sri Lanka: Head To Head Records
| Head To Head | Overall | In India |
| Matches played | 45 | 21 |
| India Won | 21 | 12 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 07 | 0 |
| Draw | 17 | 09 |
| Tie | 0 | 0 |
Top 3 highest runs scorer in India vs Sri Lanka battle
| Rank | Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Best |
| 01 | Virat Kohli | 10 | 1049 | 74.92 | 243 |
| 02 | Angelo Mathews | 16 | 1007 | 35.96 | 111 |
| 03 | Rohit Sharma | 6 | 448 | 56.00 | 102* |
Top 3 highest Wicket-takers in India vs Sri Lanka battle
| Rank | Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best |
| 01 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 10 | 56 | 22.76 | 6/46 |
| 02 | Ravindra Jadeja | 06 | 32 | 22.50 | 5/41 |
| 03 | Mohammed Shami | 06 | 22 | 23.68 | 4/100 |
Fantasy Dream XI Picks
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dimuth Karunaratne, Charith Asalanka
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant
All-rounders: Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Angelo Mathews
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Embuldeniya
Vice-captain: Ravichandran Ashwin
Captain: Virat Kohli
Injury And Other Updates
- Axar Patel comes back into the Indian squad replacing Kuldeep Yadav.
- Pathum Nissanka is ruled out of the 2nd Test owing to a back injury.
- Lahiru Kumara sustained a hamstring injury in 1st Test and may remain unavailable in Bengaluru Test as well.
Probable Playing XI
Team India: Rohit Sharma(c), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj/ Axar Patel
Team Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal/Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Vishwa Fernando
Players To Watch Out For
Ravindra Jadeja single-handedly hammered the Sri Lankan Team in the 1st Test. Despite coming into the side after recovering from an injury, the southpaw looks in sublime touch and is at the pinnacle of his career. No wonder, the ICC No. 1 all-rounder in Tests might prove to be a game-changer in the D/N Test as well.
Kohli will also be in the center of the limelight as he walks into his home ground of IPL for his 101st Test. King Kohli’s last century came in a pink-ball Test and what more can be a better sight for his die-hard fans who will get to cheer the modern master while he plays a career-defining knock in front of them. The Bengaluru track is expected to assist the spinners and R Ashwin will be geared up to host the Sri Lankans one last time in this series with his labyrinth of turn.
An end to an illustrious career
Left-arm speedster Vishwa Fernando will be key for Sri Lanka if they aim to set a fightback. Fernando impressed with his pace and accuracy in Mohali. Besides him, captain Dimuth Karunaratne will surely rely on his seasoned warhorse Suranga Lakmal. The veteran fast bowler will don the Lankan jersey for one last time in Bengaluru, as he has decided to draw curtains to his illustrious international career. The Sri Lankan team will surely plan to bid a memorable farewell to the veteran and what can be better than a Test victory on foreign soil. Lakmal enjoys bowling with the pink ball. In just 2 D/N Tests, Lakmal added 8 dismissals to his name and his average of 19.13 shows that he can be a deadly threat to Team India in Bengaluru.
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Records That Can Be Broken In This Match
- Ashwin surpassed Kapil Dev’s tally of 434 wickets in Mohali to become India’s second most successful Test bowler in terms of number of sdismissals. He is currently at 9th position in the list highest wicket-tackers in Tests. He is just 4 wickets behind Proteas speedster Dale Steyn’s 439 scalps.
- Sri Lanka is yet to register its 1st Test triumph in Indian soil. If a miracle is staged in Bengaluru, it will be a historic series in Sri Lankan cricket.
- Axar Patel eyes the record to become the joint-fastest bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. The left-arm spinner needs to take 14 wickets to equal Charles Turner’s record of 50 wickets in only 6 Tests.
- Rohit Sharma will only be the 9th Indian cricketer to feature in 400 and more international matches. Thus if India wins or draws the match, the series victory will be Rohit Sharma’s firest Test series win as a captain.
Some Interesting Stats
- Indian spinners and pink ball share a mysterious rapport in home soil. Spinners went wicketless in the 1st pink ball Test in India that was played in Kolkata. The 2nd D/N Test in Ahmedabad saw spinners bagging 19 wickets out of 20 against England.
- Kohli’s last international century came in a D/N Test against Bangladesh in 2019. The former captain will aim to end his long enduring wait for his 71st ton in his IPL home groud.
Conclusion – Writer’s Opinion
Rohit Sharma and his troops are on the cusp of another Test series victory. If Sri Lanka fails to put up a strong fightback with the bat and ball, then it will be another whitewash for them on Indian terrain. Jadeja’s form looks staggering and Ashwin is on road to becoming one of the world’s greatest spinners of all time.
But the 2nd Test will draw curtains to the prolific career of Suranga Lakmal. Sri Lanka will definitely miss the services of the veteran seamer in the future. Moreover, Kohli will surely eye for a big knock and bring an end to his long wait for an international hundred. M.Chinnaswamy Stadium has also allowed a 100 percent opening of seat capacity. Hence, it will be an enthralling sight to see fans and supporters back in full strength. Another resounding team performance will ensure Team India’s elevation in the WTC points table.
