India will need Saransh Jain in the 2nd Test. Image Credits: X
On Day 4, India turned to Devdutt Padikkal for the final over of the day. It was only the seventh time he had bowled in First-Class cricket. He had gone wicketless in the previous eight overs and would remain wicketless after this one, too.
It was not a desperate move, with India still having three frontline spinners. Rather, they wanted to throw in some variety at the very end of the day against two set batters, Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva. Padikkal, an off-spinner, was their only option and completed the day.
With two left-arm finger spinners and a left-arm wrist-spinner in the XI, India’s spin attack lacked variety. Padikkal’s introduction was not a sign of desperation, but it did underline a missing piece in an otherwise dominant performance: more variety in the attack.
Contrasting returns for Indian spinners
Indian spinners were ineffective against LHBs in Galle
The need for an off-spinner was palpable even before the first Test. If anything, the proceedings in Galle only strengthened that case.
Unsurprisingly, Sri Lanka’s two best batters in the first Test, Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella, were both left-handers. The pair stitched together a vital 146-run stand for the sixth wicket after Sri Lanka were reduced to 90/5 in 26.1 overs in the first innings. In the second innings, Dinusha produced another valiant knock as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.
Nitpicking or otherwise, Suthar struggled to keep the left-handers in check across both innings, even though he dismissed three southpaws. He averaged 27.66 against LHBs and induced false shots on 23.31% of deliveries. Against RHBs, however, those numbers were markedly better: an average of 6.71 and 30% false shots, with seven scalps.
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Jadeja, meanwhile, was expensive against the left-handers too. He conceded 4.02 runs per over and took just one wicket from 83 balls against LHBs, compared to an economy rate of 1.76 and three wickets against RHBs. He also induced significantly fewer false shots from left-handers.
Kuldeep was out of sorts throughout the match. He was the least effective spinner from either side, finishing with just one wicket across the two innings. He conceded 4.12 runs per over, although he did generate more false shots against southpaws.
It eventually took Prasidh Krishna to dismiss Dickwella in both innings and Kamindu Mendis in the second. Dinusha, meanwhile, fell to left-arm spin in both innings, but only after adding substantial runs each time.
Need for an off-spinner
Sri Lanka will be without Kusal Mendis for the second Test as well, meaning Niroshan Dickwella should retain his place in the XI. Sonal Dinusha is an obvious pick after his heroics in both innings, while Kamindu Mendis should also remain in the mix, particularly after Dinesh Chandimal’s unfortunate injury.
That means Sri Lanka will again have three left-handers in the middle order in Colombo. The spinners are unlikely to get as much assistance there as they did in Galle. In such conditions, variety becomes even more important, as it allows India to keep posing different questions to the batters.
Saransh Jain should come in for one of the spinners in the second Test. As an off-spinner, he can take the ball away from left-handers and bring the outside edge into play more often. He also generates substantial grip and drift by bowling with a loopy trajectory and operating at a slower pace through the air.
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Notably, all of Sri Lanka’s left-handers used the sweep to good effect against India’s spinners in Galle. Collectively, they scored at 10.26 runs per over against the shot without losing a wicket, while the spinners induced false shots on just 23.18% of those deliveries.
Manav Suthar imparts substantial overspin on the ball, resulting in extra bounce. In the next Test, Sri Lanka’s batters could be better prepared to use that bounce to their advantage, including through scoop shots. On a slightly less spinner-friendly surface, having greater variety in the attack could be crucial to countering these unorthodox options.
Who goes out to accommodate Saransh Jain?
After Manav Suthar’s historic performance in Galle, India simply cannot drop him from the XI. Ravindra Jadeja contributes with both bat and ball and is undroppable from the Test side. That leaves Kuldeep Yadav as the only option, and as unfortunate as it may be, he will have to sit out.
Kuldeep has not had a consistent run in this format, and his lack of confidence and preparation was evident in Galle. He bowled just 25 overs, the fewest among India’s frontline spinners in the Test. Even against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, Kuldeep did not impress as much as Suthar and Washington Sundar.
Against LHBs, Kuldeep averages 36.12 and takes around 54.75 balls per wicket since the start of last year. Those numbers suggest he cannot be consistently relied upon to contain or dismiss left-handers, particularly on a non-turning wicket. India can ill afford that vulnerability when Suthar and Jadeja are already slightly less effective against southpaws.
Had Washington Sundar been available, there was a good chance Suthar would not have played the first Test in the first place. Kuldeep, in that case, would have retained his place, with Suthar remaining on the sidelines. But Suthar earned his opportunity and, more importantly, made the most of it with a 10-wicket haul.
It might dent Kuldeep’s confidence further, but India need to make the harsh call. If Sri Lanka put up a stronger batting performance in Colombo, India could find themselves in trouble more often than they did in Galle. They need a proactive option ready before that happens.
It would not have been an issue had the left-handers not dominated in Galle, or had one of India’s spinners exposed that weakness by removing them cheaply. But that did not happen. Now, Saransh Jain should come in to address the only apparent loophole in an otherwise potent bowling attack.
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