India's Test tour of Sri Lanka is all set to get underway on August 15 in Galle. It is a crucial assignment for Shubman Gill’s men as they aim to climb from fifth position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings.
With the series around the corner, cricket analysts and former players have started sharing their bold predictions.
Ex-Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof has backed Gurnoor Brar to be India’s 'X-factor' in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, stating that he would be tempted to hand the rookie pacer his Test debut cap in the two-match series.
Brar delivered an exceptional all-round performance during India's three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, heavily boosting his chances for a Test debut.
He smashed an unbeaten 36 runs off 18 balls on Day 2, including four sixes in an over off left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera. As a frontline right-arm fast bowler, Brar proved effective across both innings on a surface that offered minimal help to seamers. He bowled 12 overs, took 1 wicket for 49 runs in the first innings, and returned with figures of 2 for 37 in his 8 overs during the second essay.
"The ability to reverse-swing the ball, especially with the older ball, is something Bumrah brings, and that is going to be a massive miss for India," Maharoof replied to a PTI query during a virtual media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network.
"That is where I think they could lack some wicket-taking ability. Mohammed Siraj is a good bowler, with all due respect to him, but when you compare the two fast bowlers, there is a bit of a difference."
"I really like Gurnoor Brar. I think he can be the X-factor. He has the bounce, the pace and the fighting spirit. He can be nasty," he added.
Maharoof also highlighted Brar extracting steep bounce to trouble the Sri Lankan batters in the practice match.
"If you watched the warm-up game, some of the deliveries he bowled to batters who are in the Test squad made them quite uneasy, and he even hit a couple of players on the body.
"If I were in the Indian think tank, I would be tempted to give Gurnoor a go. I know he has only played white-ball cricket for India, but he brings that X-factor. In short bursts, when you want to break a batter's rhythm, he can be a lethal weapon," he remarked.
India's spin unit, featuring Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain, had a highly productive outing in the warm-up fixture. While Jadeja, Kuldeep, Suthar and Saransh bowled 15, 18, 13 and 11 overs in the first innings, the quartet collectively bowled 27 overs in the second essay.
While Jadeja and Kuldeep will be the first-choice spinners, there is a debate over the third spinner's slot. However, Maharoof feels Suthar should hold the edge, considering his Player-of-the-Match performance on Test debut against Afghanistan.
"If you ask me, I would be tempted to go with the two left-arm spinners as well as Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep is a frontrunner to start in Galle, especially considering his record and the number of wickets he took in the last Test against Afghanistan.
"I see three spinners for India: Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and either Suthar or Jain. Ideally, you would like an off-spinner for variation, but I would not be surprised if Manav Suthar plays because his ability to get bounce off the surface could be very handy in Galle.
"Overall, looking at India's bowling line-up, it is quite competitive, with two seamers and three spinners."
The cricketer-turned-commentator predicted a 1-1 draw in the Test series, highlighting Prabath Jayasuriya and crosswinds in Galle as the key factors for spinners.
"The biggest challenge for Indian batters will certainly be the spinners. I certainly feel Prabath Jayasuriya will be the biggest challenge for the Indian batters. He is our main weapon, while Asitha Fernando will be important with the fast bowling.
"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.
"It is going to be a crosswind, so the Indian spinners will have to adapt quickly to that factor. How quickly they adjust to the wind is going to be massive," Maharoof remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)
