India bowling coach Morne Morkel has hinted that the team could unleash three left-arm spinners in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, and Kuldeep Yadav are all in contention, with Morkel insisting that their different styles give captain Shubman Gill enough variety to make the combination work. Although Jadeja and Suthar are both left-arm orthodox spinners, Kuldeep Yadav brings a completely different threat with his left-arm wrist spin.

His deliveries generally turn away from right-handed batters, offering India a different angle of attack. Even Jadeja and Suthar rely on contrasting methods despite operating at similar speeds. Manav Suthar looks to generate significant revolutions on the ball, using turn and dip to trouble batters, while Jadeja relies more heavily on accuracy, variations, and deliveries that do not always turn sharply. Morkel believes these differences make the prospect of playing three left-arm spinners far less complicated than it may appear.

“Kuldeep is there, and he’s the attacking sort of bowler and for us, his experience and class can’t look past. So yeah, I think for us they’re all different in their way,” Morne Morkel said on Thursday.

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He added that Suthar offers more turn, while Jadeja provides greater control, leaving Gill with multiple options depending on match situations. Morkel also stressed that all three bowlers have the ability to take the 20 wickets required to win a Test.

The bigger selection dilemma for India is whether they should go with a fourth spinner. Saransh Jain, a right-arm off-spinner, could provide additional variety, but his inclusion would make India more dependent on their lower-order batters. That could force the management to choose between Saransh and a specialist batter such as Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel.

Morkel suggested that conditions in Galle could favour a three-spinner combination. Historically, the venue has offered assistance to spin as Tests progress, making an attacking spin-heavy strategy a logical option for India.

“Traditionally also if you look at the venue, how it stacks and how it’s been played up, that’s sort of the way (three spinners) to go,” Morne Morkel said.

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However, he acknowledged that the pitch appeared to be good at the start and could change as the match develops. India have therefore prepared for multiple scenarios, with patience expected to be crucial for both batters and bowlers.

For Gill, the challenge will be using his spinners effectively across different phases of the Test. If India opt for three left-arm spinners, their ability to combine control, variation and attacking intent could become a defining factor in Galle.