5 reasons why Sri Lanka can pose a threat to India

Dinesh Chandimal’s batting and captaincy

In times when the team is going through a real rough patch, the series win in the UAE against a strong Pakistan side is a big boost to the morale of Sri Lanka. Credit should be given to the team’s performance which has been captained by Chandimal.

Not to forget, the same captain was at the receiving end of a series whitewash at home against India, and personally as a batsman there were lot of questions raised about his inclusion in the team.

Putting aside all that negativity, on tiring, tough playing conditions in the UAE where Pakistan have dominated in recent times, Sri Lanka was able to pull off a convincing series win.

Dinesh Chandimal the batsman stood up and scored a total of 224 runs with a superb knock of 155 not out in the first test match at Abu Dhabi and led by example. His outstanding partnership with Karunaratne was among the key reasons for Sri Lanka’s win in the first test match.

And the good run with the bat rubbed off in his captaincy as he was very proactive with his field placements, used the bowlers well and more importantly made sure whilst the spinners were causing havoc, he applied more pressure with some aggressive captaincy.

For Sri Lanka to pose a threat against India, Chandimal the batsman would have to continue from where he left off in the UAE. Most importantly, he would need to build an environment where the team would be positive and always look to attack. As once you get into a defensive mindset as a captain, it usually rubs off on the players as well, affecting the performance of the team.

In what could be a real test of skill and character for Sri Lanka when they face off against India, if Dinesh Chandimal can continue his good run with the bat and more importantly stay positive when things get tough then India could be challenged. With Angelo Mathews back in the side he can use his experience and guidance.