India vs Sri Lanka 2017: India's probable playing XI for first Test
With the start of the first Test at Galle, a new governance, headed by the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri collaboration, will commence, steering Indian cricket forward, at least till the 2019 World Cup. The previous regime under Anil Kumble was studded with comprehensive Test wins, almost all of them being at home. However, sterner ‘tests’ await the new combination, with foreign tours chalked out over the coming months.
Kohli has a reputation of tinkering with his playing XI, which makes it difficult to predict what combination he will employ. The disclaimer done with, here’s predicting the Indian line-up for the first Test:
Top-order
A fortnight ago, when the team was announced, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul would have walked into the side as the first-choice opening combination. A wrist injury and high fever, respectively, have resulted in a new opening pair to be the likely beneficiary: Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund are expected to weather the new ball now.
Also read: KL Rahul ruled out of first Sri Lanka Test
Dhawan has come into the side on the back of a fruitful IPL and Champions Trophy, while Mukund, by the sheer volume of his domestic runs, has clawed his way in, having also featured in the series against Australia earlier this year, for the first time in six seasons.
Walking in after them will be Test team’s crisis man, the self-effacing Cheteshwar Pujara. While a major chunk of the team was part of the IPL, Pujara played in England, honing his already slick skills in foreign conditions. On his last tour here in 2015, he got only one game, but made it count with an unbeaten 145, when he was asked to open at Colombo.