IND vs SL, 2nd Test: Match preview, stats, and more
India and Sri Lanka will square off in the final Test (Day/Night) of the two-match series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, starting March 12. The hosts lead the series 1-0 after winning the Mohali Test by an innings and 222 runs. India are set to host their third pink-ball Test. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma eyes his first Test series sweep as India's full-time captain.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the 2nd Test (2:00 PM IST). The wicket at this venue has been fruitful for the batters. Although the bowlers have little margin for error, it remains to be seen how the pink ball behaves here. One can watch the game live on the Star Sports Network and stream on the Hotstar app (paid subscription).
India have featured in three Day/Night Tests so far. They defeated Bangladesh in their maiden pink-ball Test at the Eden Gardens (2019), winning the match by an innings and 46 runs in less than three days. India were handed a crushing defeat in their second Day/Night encounter in Australia (Adelaide, 2020). In 2021, India defeated England in the pink-ball encounter (Ahmedabad) in two days.
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer for India in Day/Night Tests. He has tallied 241 runs from four innings at 60.25. In the game against Bangladesh, Kohli became the first-ever Indian to hit a hundred in a Day/Night Test.
Earlier this week, it was reported that all-rounder Axar Patel has rejoined India's Test squad after attaining full fitness. Axar, who took 11 wickets in India's 2021 pink-ball Test (Ahmedabad), is expected to replace Jayant Yadav in the XI. Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Sri Lanka entered the Mohali Test with just one frontline spinner in the form of Lasith Embuldeniya. He removed Virat Kohli in the first innings. SL skipper Dimuth Karunaratne could include leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay in the Playing XI. Probable XI: Karunaratne (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Lasith Embuldeniya, Vandersay.
