5 Sri Lankan players India should watch out for in the Test series

India’s return to Test action in August sees them take on Sri Lanka and the former will be looking to beat the islanders for the first time away from home in 22 years.Their awful record abroad – India have won just one Test outside of India since 2011 (Lord’s 2014) – does not bode well for the visitors although Sri Lanka are not looking too spritely either, having recently suffered a 2-1 series defeat against Pakistan.If India do come up short once more and extend their 22-year drought in Sri Lanka further, here are five players from the host nation who are likely to be their biggest tormentors.

#1 Kumar Sangakkara

Sanga would want to go out with a bang

Unsurprisingly, Kumar Sangakkara heads the list and the classy left-hander is still demonstrating at the age of 37 why he is one of the finest batsmen of his generation, having showcased prolific form at the World Cup and hitting his 11th Test double-century in New Zealand earlier in the year.

Sangakkara’s efforts against India roughly match his overall career statistics. The batsman averages a tick over 57 and has knocked five centuries at the expense of his subcontinent rivals in 15 Tests.

The Sri Lankan veteran will be keen to give his home fans one last cause for celebration, after announcing in June that he will retire from international cricket following the second Test of this series, although he will continue competing for Surrey – the English county he signed a two-year deal with in January.

Sangakkara hasn’t quite dominated in the manner he has become accustomed to at Surrey, averaging 44 from eight games albeit with three hundreds. Nor did he have a major impact in Sri Lanka’s recent series with Pakistan – his highest score in the two Tests he played was just 50.

However, the slight slump shouldn’t be of too much concern for a player who has excelled remarkably towards the back-end of his career. One last hurrah on home turf is to be expected, nothing less will suffice.

#2 Tharindu Kaushal

The Indian batsmen will have to watch out for him

He may be far from the finished article but Tharindu Kaushal, a 22-year-old spinner from Galle, hinted at his capabilities in June with his maiden five-wicket haul against Pakistan in just his second Test match – a performance instrumental in putting Sri Lanka into a winning position.

Kaushal utilised the doosra well to dismantle Pakistan, taking 5-42 as they were bowled out for 138, and he looks to be the latest in a line of fine spin-bowling talents from the island. He has been hit-and-miss, turning in a couple of pricey wicketless returns in the Pakistan series, but when in the zone, he has shown himself to be dangerous and a challenge for the Indian batsmen.

His first-class figures are impressive, with 213 wickets from 36 matches coming at just 22 runs each. Kaushal has also taken five wickets in an innings 23 times and on six occasions he has picked up 10 in a match. They are numbers befitting of Ajantha Mendis, another starlet spinner from the same shores who bamboozled batsmen when he first broke onto the scene.

It is Kaushal’s inconsistency but evident ability that makes him worth keeping an eye on, even if he is not Sri Lanka’s first-choice spinner. He may flatter to deceive – Indians are expert players of spin after all – but if he is on the brink of a big breakthrough, this could be where he makes it.

#3 Dimuth Karunaratne

Can Karunaratne be consistent?

With Sangakkara’s exit imminent, a replacement is needed and while no one can truly fill his boots, Dimuth Karunaratne has the potential and big-game mentality to take on the responsibility.

The left-handed bastman’s involvement in the Test side spans nearly three years but it was in his latest outing in Pallekele where he produced arguably his finest knock yet. In the series decider against Pakistan, Karunaratne withstood the pressure of a batting collapse and countered the seemingly irrepressible spinner Yasir Shah, knuckling down to score 130 out of Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 278.

Pakistan ultimately won but Karunaratne displayed the steely resolve indicative of him becoming an essential part of Sri Lanka’s batting lineup in the years to come. Two other half-centuries in the series have helped to cement his spot in the team and the opener’s growing maturity makes him a considerable threat to India – his effortless tackling of Yasir in that 130 suggests he will not be daunted by their spinners.

With Mahela Jayawardene’s retirement and Sangakkara also about to depart, Sri Lanka’s batting has notably weakened of late – their highest score in the Pakistan series was just 315 – but if they do reassert themselves with the bat, Karunaratne will likely be piling on the runs at the top.

#4 Angelo Mathews

He is averaged more than 85 in 201

A typically fighting captain’s ton from Angelo Mathews gave Sri Lanka a huge chance to beat Pakistan, only for an inspired Younis Khan to successfully pilot a towering fourth-innings chase of 377. It was a bitter moment for Mathews as both a player and leader, who stated post-match that the defeat will “take a lot of time to digest”.

He has, however, grown with the captaincy and the 28-year-old is leading Sri Lanka into a new era. The series with India presents itself as an important one for Mathews though. The visitors are notoriously weak away from home and Sri Lanka is in need of a victory having fallen short in their last two assignments against Pakistan and New Zealand.

As a batsman, Mathews has taken his game to the next level in the past 18 months. He was second only to Sangakkara in Test runs scored in 2014, accumulating 1317 runs with an 87.80 average. He is the rock of the middle-order and in times of relative inexperience, his team is very much reliant on him.

Sri Lanka has a dominant record over India at home and if Mathews hopes to build a dynasty as captain, taking care of business here is important. Expect him to lead from the front.

#5 Rangana Herath

Herath is a huge threat at home

Rangana Herath has proven an ageless spinner for his country and has shone brightly for Sri Lanka after emerging from Muttiah Muralitharan’s shadow. For the 37-year-old to have racked up 263 Test wickets from 60 matches despite spending most of his career as a second option is no mean feat.

But two off-colour games against Pakistan in June (he took just two wickets) led to him being dropped in favour of Kaushal for the decider – a decision that didn’t pay dividends. Mathews confirmed leaving him out was a “tactical decision” and that Herath is still their number one spinner, which makes sense considering Kaushal is still a raw prospect.

That said, after an off series Herath getting back to his best against India will be one of Sri Lanka’s main priorities. As highlighted in their last Test, he remains a vital asset and without him they appeared toothless. He possesses the control that can restrict batsmen and generally finds home pitches to be his playground.

Could it be that Herath is on the wane and that his time at the top is limited? Maybe. But for now, he is still a good bet to cause headaches amongst any opposition. Pakistan got off lightly; India will be more severely tested by Sri Lanka’s ace.