"Sri Lanka is not a patch on this Indian team" - Aakash Chopra says 1st Ind vs SL Test can be called a mismatch

The Sri Lankan team were handed a mauling by Team India [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra has said that the first Test between Team India and Sri Lanka in Mohali turned out to be a no-contest.

The Indian team thrashed the visiting Lankans by an innings and 222 runs inside three days in Mohali. Dimuth Karunaratne's side were never in the game once the hosts posted a mammoth score of 574-8 declared in their first innings.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma might regret not allowing Ravindra Jadeja score a double-century, considering the one-sided nature of the contest.

Chopra said in this regard:

"Do you call this a match? You actually call this a mismatch. Sri Lanka is not a patch on this Indian team. When they look back, Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma might think why they declared; 200 could have been scored because the match did not go to the fourth day also."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the World Test Championship (WTC) points on offer do not hold any significance if two sides are not evenly matched. Aakash Chopra explained:

"What will context do if there is no contest? The context has come because of the WTC; you get points for every match and series, but if there is no contest, if the gulf is too big between the two teams, then where is the enjoyment. You are not reviving Test cricket; it will become dead and buried if you have such one-sided encounters."

Team India got 12 points for the Mohali Test win, but continue to be in fifth spot in the WTC points table. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, suffered their first reverse, and dropped from first to third position.

"The opposing team could not even stand" - Aakash Chopra

Team India won the first Test within three days [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra spoke about Team India's utter dominance over the visitors. He elaborated:

"India played one batter less, and despite that, scored 575 runs. They don't take the name of stopping. The opposing team is made to follow-on; the Indian spinners run through the side; one spinner did not take a wicket at all, but despite that, the opposing team could not even stand."

The 44-year-old observed that while Rohit Sharma's side brightened their chances of reaching the WTC final, Sri Lanka seem to be no-hopers. Chopra said:

"India was a mid-table team if we see the WTC points table, but we will get 100% points here, and move slightly upwards. The opposing team is saying that they don't have a chance of qualifying because we are not capable of that."

WTC points table 2021-23: https://t.co/P2RaR1Myji

Aakash Chopra concluded by advising the ICC to have a two-tier structure for the World Test Championship.