IND vs SL LIVE score, 1st Test: Rohit Sharma will kick start his Test captaincy journey while Virat Kohli will appear for record 100th Test as India enters a new era of Test cricket. All eyes will be on middle-order after Ajinkya Rahane-Cheteshwar Pujara’s exit as India aims to become World No.1, whitewash Sri Lanka. Follow India vs Sri Lanka LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
IND vs SL LIVE score, 1st Test: Revamped India begin new era in Kohli’s 100th Test- Follow India vs Sri Lanka LIVE updates
India have not lost at home in the longest format since their 2-1 defeat by England in 2012 and won their 14th consecutive home series when they beat world champions New Zealand at the end of last year.
Rohit’s side will be firm favourites to extend their winning streak, having never lost a Test to Sri Lanka on home soil, when the series begins on Friday.
Their last defeat against Sri Lanka in the five-day format came back in 2015.
IND vs SL LIVE score, 1st Test: Revamped India begin new era in Kohli’s 100th Test- Follow India vs Sri Lanka LIVE updates
IND vs SL Test: Rohit was named India’s Test captain last month, succeeding batting talisman and long-time skipper Virat Kohli as the team’s leader in all three formats.
The opener from Mumbai is a proven leader in white-ball cricket, having led India to T20 series wins over New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka recently and also captaining the Mumbai Indians to five Indian Premier League titles.
Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain, stepped down after seven years in charge in a shock move last month following India’s 2-1 series defeat in South Africa.
IND vs SL Test: The spotlight will, however, continue to be on the 33-year-old Kohli in Mohali with the contest against Sri Lanka to be his 100th Test match for the country.
The match in the northern Indian city was initially scheduled to be held without spectators due to COVID-19 but the Indian cricket board said on Tuesday that 50 per cent capacity will be allowed for Kohli’s milestone match.
The two-match series will also be the first in years when India will be without both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, with both senior batters dropped due to inconsistent form.
Batter KL Rahul and allrounder Washington Sundar are also missing due to injuries.
It could open up a batting spot in the Test side for Shreyas Iyer, who scored three unbeaten half-centuries in India’s 3-0 victory in the T20 series against the same opponents.
IND vs SL Test: The hosts could also unleash their first-choice spin duo of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin against Sri Lanka.
Allrounder Jadeja has returned to full fitness from a knee injury while Ashwin is expected to be available after recovering from an unspecified injury in January.
Sri Lanka have also welcomed back Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella in their Test squad after their one-year suspension for breaching the team’s bio-bubble protocols during last year’s tour of England was lifted in January.
IND vs SL Test: Lahiru Thirimanne has also returned to the Dimuth Karinaratne-led side, having opted out of Sri Lanka’s previous Test series against West Indies in November for the birth of his second child.
The second and final Test will be played in Bengaluru from March 12 under lights.
IND vs SL Test Squads
India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, R. Ashwin (subject to fitness clearance), Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain).
Sri Lanka Test Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva (vc), Kusal Mendis (subject to fitness), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrema, Lasith Embuldeniya.
IND vs SL LIVE score, 1st Test: Revamped India begin new era in Kohli’s 100th Test- Follow India vs Sri Lanka LIVE updates
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