India vs Sri Lanka: 3 key player battles that could define Test series

After dominating Sri Lanka in the T20I series, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will now shift their attention to the Test series.

The first match of the two-Test series will take place at the Punjab Cricket Association, Mohali starting on March 4th. It will also be Virat Kohli's 100th Test match. This series holds a lot of importance for the hosts considering their place in the World Test Championship.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will need to be at their absolute best if they are to compete against the hosts in this series. They have the players to challenge Rohit and co., but have to bounce back from the 3-0 drubbing in the T20I series.

In this article, we take a look at the three key player battles in the upcoming India vs Sri Lanka Test series:

3.) Dushmantha Chameera vs Rohit Sharma

Chameera will challenge Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma will lead the Test side for the very first time and will walk out to face the music against the new ball. This will be his biggest challenge upfront when he faces Dushmantha Chameera.

Chameera has troubled Rohit in the past as he has been dismissed by the pacer on six occasions in T20Is. The Mumbai batter has struggled against the late movement as well as the pace that Chameera has managed to extract.

In the nine innings that Rohit has faced the bowler, Chameera has dismissed him on six occasions while the batter has only averaged 5.33. The red ball will pose a lot of questions and how Rohit combats this can go a long way in defining the course of the match.

---

2.) Jasprit Bumrah vs Dimuth Karunaratne

Bumrah has been appointed India's Test captain

Jasprit Bumrah is the new vice-captain of the Indian Test side. He has been in fine form and was stellar against South Africa in the last Test series. He has not featured a lot in home conditions. Hence, how he performs on these pitches will give a great account of his mettle.

He will charge in with the new ball against Dimuth Karunaratne, the Sri Lankan captain, and this battle promises to be mouth-watering.

Karunaratne doesn't has the best record against India. In nine matches, the left-hander has scored just 443 runs at an average of 24.61.

However, in the recent past, he has been one of the most prolific run-scorers in Test cricket across all conditions. How he fares against the Indian seamers will help define how his side performs in this series.

---

1.) Lasith Embuldeniya vs Virat Kohli

Can Virat Kohli get to his 71st century?

Lasith Embuldeniya has been superb for Sri Lanka in helpful conditions. Last year, he accumulated 32 wickets in Tests and was behind the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin (44) and Axar Patel (33) for most wickets by spinners in 2021.

If the pitches offer assistance, he will pose a threat to the Indian batters. And as has always been the case, Virat Kohli will be the centre of attraction when he walks out to bat. The search for his 71st century continues and he will be challenged by the Sri Lankan spinners. This will be Kohli's 100th Test match and he will want to make it a memorable one.