‘Aggression’, ‘inexperience’ and ‘transition’ seem to be the buzzwords ahead of the three-Test India-Sri Lanka series which starts here on Wednesday. The home side is short on experience while the visitors are in transition. However, both want to be aggressive.
In reality, can these attributes come together and be at ease in each other’s company?
When India played Australia at Adelaide last December under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, it fell short by 48 runs on the final day going in pursuit of 364.
Against Pakistan at Pallekele recently, the young Sri Lanka side attacked from the word go but failed to keep its head at crucial moments and lost the Test and the series.
In both instances the intentions were rightly lauded. To be fair, a general contempt for everything defensive is a reflection of the prevailing culture in sports. But was the intent sustainable?
In effect, the series will pit two teams struggling to negotiate their space in such a universe. And when one team is in transition and other is inexperienced, things are bound to be dicey.
“We don’t mind losing playing in that fashion,” declared India team director Ravi Shastri on Monday.
“But it is the brand of cricket you want to play because if you get used to it, you will start winning more than you lose. The role I play is hammering that into their system.”
“You don’t come to a cricket ground to draw a cricket match, so you play a brand of cricket where you take the game forward, and you look to take 20 wickets, which is paramount.”
Yet, the impediments here are many. Kohli’s team will be predominantly M.S. Dhoni’s. A sharp change in attitude is easier said than achieved, especially in a split-captaincy scenario that will be in place at least till the next Twenty20 World Cup in 2016.
A batting line-up that seems to constantly mutate, a bowling line-up that isn’t sure-footed and the fulcrum that holds these two together — read Wriddhiman Saha — yet to find purchase are the harsh realities that the team must live through.
On the other hand, the Lankans will have to learn to rise, even as the colossus in Kumar Sangakkara pads up for his final series. As much as the second Test will be about marking the end of the Sangakkara era, it’s imperative for the island nation to not wallow in his absence immediately after.
When asked if Sri Lanka would be vulnerable, Shastri said: “I wouldn’t say so.”
“In home conditions you make up for that. But if you look at it, both sides are young. This must be one of the youngest Indian teams to come here. If you look at the average age of this side, it would be about 25-26.”
“As opposed to the teams that have come here in the last 15 years this is a very young side as well. So it’s young playing young, and it will be interesting.”
