After whitewashing Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series, India will be hosting the Islanders for a couple of Tests in Mohali and Bengaluru. The first Test is scheduled to be played in Mohali from March 4 while the second Test will be played in Bengaluru from the 12th of March. India will be playing under the new captain, Rohit Sharma while Sri Lanka will be led by Dimuth Karunaratne.
Although India is a much stronger side, Sri Lanka is not a team that can be ruled out of contention so easily. Both the teams have added a good number of experienced players to their squads. In the ICC Men’s Test rankings, India is standing at the third position while Sri Lanka is placed seventh on the list.
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These two sides have locked horns with each other on 44 occasions in the longest format of the game, where India won 20 games while Sri Lanka managed 7 wins. This match is also a special one for Indian fans as Virat Kohli will be making his 100th appearance in the whites for India. He will become the 71st player to do so in international cricket.
India
Skipper Rohit Sharma, milestone man Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah are sure shot picks. Mayank Agarwal will open the batting with Sharma, while Shubman Gill is expected to bat at No.3. Hanuma Vihari will be expected to play at No.5, while Mohammed Shami and Siraj will be the other 2 fast bowlers alongside Bumrah.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka
For Sri Lanka, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Suranga Lakmal, and Dushmantha Chameera are sure picks in the playing XI. The experienced Lahiru Thirimanne will walk in at No.3, while Dhananjaya De Silva and the hugely talented Charith Asalanka will occupy the No.5 and No.6 positions. The 2 spinners who will take the field are Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama.
Predicted XI: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Praveen Jayawickrama, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Dushmantha Chameera
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (C), Pathum Nissanka, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Dinesh Chandimal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhananjaya de Silva (VC), Mohammed Shami, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
