New Delhi: The first battle of the upcoming India-Sri Lanka Test series may begin long before a ball turns sharply off the Galle surface. It may begin in the minds of the batters.Sri Lanka know what Galle — the venue for the first Test — can become. They know how quickly a pitch that looks inviting on the first morning can begin asking different questions by the third day. They know what happens when the ball starts gripping, when the rough comes into play and when a batter who has spent two days playing straight suddenly has to decide whether to attack, defend or simply survive.And they know India have had their own recent troubles against spin, losing home Test series to New Zealand and South Africa in the last two years. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva does not believe India’s defeats on turning pitches mean they have forgotten how to bat against spin. If anything, he expects a wounded opponent.“Well, India did lose two series (against New Zealand and South Africa) in India on turning wickets, but it’s not that they have forgotten how to play on turning wickets. They’ll surely be itching to make a comeback,” De Silva told TOI ahead of the first Test in Galle on Saturday.Sri Lanka’s strategy will be to drag India deep into the Test, let the surface age, allow the spinners to dictate the questions and see who has the answers.“International cricket is not easy. If we can take the games to the fourth and fifth day, we will have a greater chance to beat them,” De Silva said. “I hope we make it as hard as possible for them and they are under the pump during the series.”The hosts are not expecting a pitch that turns square from the first hour. The weather has intervened. It has been raining in Sri Lanka, and De Silva expects conditions to remain relatively humid rather than dry. His preference is for a sporting surface — one that rewards batters early before gradually bringing the spinners into the contest.“Normally, we get spinning wickets in Sri Lanka. But currently, it’s raining here and weather conditions are not going to be dry,” he said.“We have a strong batting lineup as well, so I feel pitches will be sporting — helping batters in the first 2-3 days and then start turning. Spinners are going to be our primary line of attack. But, that said, we’ve some quality seamers in our team who can change the game,” he added.The Lankan captain believes the hardest part of batting in these conditions is not necessarily negotiating the first spell of spin. It is knowing what to do when the surface begins to change.“The difference is that it’s quite hard to get runs over here and the batters really need to dig in and show temperament to score sizeable number of runs,” De Silva said.That, he feels, is where Sri Lanka possess an advantage.“We know how to approach our innings. We know when it’s going to start turning. Several batters become clueless when it turns and don’t know how to go about a knock in these conditions.”There is another reason the spin battle could become the defining thread of the series — Lankan left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who has made Galle his territory.“Stats-wise, we have the upper hand. Prabath has played more matches than any other guys in the two teams, especially in Galle,” De Silva said. “He has had the upper hand over many touring batting lineups over the years. Plus-one to Sri Lanka, I would say.”India, of course, are not short of players who know how to win in difficult conditions. However, some key names are missing. De Silva, of course, is not allowing any sense of complacency to seep in.“Even if India are missing some of their key players, I’m not going to take them lightly. They have several match-winners in their team,” he said.Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, though, stands out.“He (Bumrah) will be a big loss for India,” De Silva said. “But we’ve done our homework for others and we’re well prepared for them.”Sri Lanka arrive with confidence from their recent tour of the West Indies, where their batters scored hundreds, their pacers produced five-wicket hauls and Jayasuriya performed strongly.“In the second Test, we ran West Indies very close and had them on the backfoot,” De Silva said. “That kind of performance boosts our confidence.”According to De Silva, India’s biggest threat during the series is likely to be opening batter KL Rahul.“I would say experience-wise KL Rahul would be the biggest threat for us. He has done well all around the world and he has played a few matches in Sri Lanka as well. Last time (in 2017), I think he played in our conditions and knows it pretty well.”(Watch the India-SL Test series live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV)
