Sri Lanka have been set a target of 372 runs to win by India in the first Test in Galle.
Sanjay Manjrekar and Murali Kartik, two former India cricketers, engaged in a heated conversation while analyzing India’s second innings on day 4 of the ongoing first Test in Galle. India has found itself in a good position after a very good batting and bowling performance.
India posted 462 runs after opting to bat first in Galle and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 284 runs. In the second innings, India batted for 48.5 overs and scored 193 runs, gaining a lead of 371 runs.
The two former cricket players agreed to disagree on whether India had batted for too long and unnecessarily extended their innings when rain stopped play on Day 4. Kartik claimed that India did not score many runs in the latter forty minutes of their innings.
The argument became more important since rain was expected on Day 5, and India needed a victory to maintain their hopes of winning the World Test Championship.
"If India can't get Sri Lanka all out within the target in 80 or 90 overs, they don't deserve to win. They don't deserve to get to No. 1 or No. 2 in the WTC points table. We can assume India will get at least 70 to 80 overs," Manjrekar said on Sony Sports.
"I don't know whether you heard me or not. With the weather around, are you assured of 80 to 90 overs? That is all I am saying," Murali Kartik replied on the same show.
"We can't be assured. We have to leave a lot to the weather. We might not get a full quota of overs today and tomorrow. With India's bowling line-up and the way India batted in the first innings, they would fancy their chances. We have to keep it simple. This Sri Lanka batting line-up is without Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. If India's bowling attack can't get Sri Lanka out in 80-odd overs on this kind of pitch, we have to accept the fact that it was not so much about the Indian batters batting slowly but about the quality and potency of the bowling attack. I think that is where we have to point our fingers," Manjrekar replied again.
"If we get only 50 or 60 overs, I would consider whether India could have declared earlier. But I don't see that as the sole reason if something untoward happens tomorrow and India don't win this Test match,” he added.
Kartik, however, said that the extra time could always prove beneficial.
"We need to give ourselves enough time. We need to keep in mind that rain has a role to play. That's all I am saying. We didn't gain much by batting that extra half-hour," he said.
India has done well in defense of the 372-run target, as Sri Lanka has lost four wickets for the score of 53 runs in 23 overs as of writing this piece.