Former Sri Lankan player Hashan Tillakaratne warned Team India captain Shubman Gill about the challenges he could face on turning pitches in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Gill has arguably been India’s best Test batter since taking over the captaincy midway through last year as well. He averages 82.76 with six centuries in nine matches as Test captain. However, Gill has never played a Test match in Sri Lanka in his six-year red-ball career for India as well.

Talking about Shubman Gill ahead of the Test series, Tillakaratne said on Revsportz: “I love watching him bat. He is technically very sound and plays beautifully on good batting tracks. This series will be a real test for him on turning pitches. It will be interesting to see how he performs in these conditions.”

READ HERE: Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On ODI Futures Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli

However, Hashan Tillakaratne believes veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s absence due to injury could affect India’s chances in the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Despite originally being named in the squad, Bumrah could not recover in time from a left knee injury and was eventually ruled out. Auqib Nabi, meanwhile, has replaced Bumrah in the Indian squad.

“It’s certainly good news for Sri Lanka because we all know how skilful Bumrah is. I think he is one of the best bowlers in world cricket today. His absence gives Sri Lanka an advantage. That said, we cannot take India lightly. They still have some excellent players. We cannot take India’s spinners lightly. Jadeja, in particular, can be very effective in Sri Lankan conditions because of his pace, variations and vast experience,” Hashan Tillakaratne concluded.