Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has suggested that Team India should enforce the follow-on in the second Test against Sri Lanka if they get that chance. He added that they could have opted to bat again had they bowled out the hosts on Day 3 as well. India reduced Sri Lanka to 265/8 in their first innings in Colombo on Tuesday, August 25 as well. They need to take the remaining two wickets for less than 39 runs to have the option of enforcing the follow-on as well.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Kaif said, “Now two days’ play is left. If they had gotten them all out today, India would have gained more by batting. However, since they couldn’t get them all out and the innings has gone until tomorrow, less time is left now. If you get a chance to enforce the follow-on, give it. That will be a better situation for Shubman Gill. They are 238 runs behind at the moment. If you give the follow-on, you would be 200 runs ahead, and even if Sri Lanka plays well, assuming they score 300 or 350, the ball is in your court. You can maintain the pace. Even if it rains and the overs are reduced, the game is in your hands while chasing.”

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However, Mohammad Kaif said that a positive for India is that too many overs aren’t getting lost due to rain in Colombo as well.

“The good thing is that it is raining in the evening in Colombo. It comes around 5 pm. 80 overs are happening every day. It was different in Galle, where it was raining at any time, but here we have seen a pattern that it rains in the evening. There is a break now. When the bowlers wake up and come, they will be fresh. It’s not like you have bowled 200 or 180 overs, that you are tired and need recovery. You have bowled close to 80 overs. You have five bowlers,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.