Gambhir urges India to 'tick all the boxes' as Colombo warm-up precedes Galle Test on August 15
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has challenged his squad to leave nothing to chance ahead of the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, urging players to maximise preparations in Colombo before the opening Test in Galle on August 15; India will play a three-day warm-up against a Sri Lanka XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club in Colombo from Friday.
Gambhir delivered the message in a video shared by the BCCI, telling the squad: "We know what is in front of us. We can do volume, we can push our limits, we can tick all the boxes and come 15th morning whether we are batting first or bowling first we will be absolutely ready with every answer to every question thrown at us." He added: "So make sure to tick all the boxes from now on." The team faces intermittent rain forecasts in Colombo over the next few days.
The three-day match is being treated as vital preparation for India's batters to acclimatise to Sri Lankan conditions ahead of the series, particularly against spin. The report notes spin was India's biggest weakness during recent home Test series against New Zealand and South Africa, and that the challenge is unlikely to get any easier against Sri Lanka's experienced slow-bowling attack.
Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had already started working on their play against spin before departing for Colombo, but Gambhir stressed that practice on Sri Lankan pitches is irreplaceable. The warm-up should give India's top order a clearer idea of the pace, bounce and turn they can expect in Galle.
India's squad also confronts relative unfamiliarity with local red-ball conditions: the last Test series in Sri Lanka took place in 2017, and only KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav from the current group possess prior red-ball experience on the island. That limited experience places extra emphasis on the forthcoming dress rehearsal.
The pace unit has a different look with Jasprit Bumrah sidelined through injury; Mohammed Siraj will lead the seamers alongside Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain. Apart from Siraj and Kuldeep, much of the attack remains relatively inexperienced in Sri Lankan conditions, increasing the importance of match practice.
Gurnoor Brar and Saransh Jain arrived in positive form after "productive outings in Galle" during India A's recent tour of Sri Lanka, and another opportunity to bowl in similar conditions is expected to build their confidence ahead of the Tests.
Gambhir summed up the approach in practical terms: "India cannot control the weather, but they can control their preparation." India will therefore run the three-day warm-up at Nondescripts Cricket Club from Friday before the first Test starts in Galle on August 15.
