2 weeks ago
145 wickets: Sri Lanka's Galle spin duo awaits India
Cricket is a game where one team throws a ball and the other team tries to hit it.
Two bowlers from Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, are experts at making the ball spin.
They play at Galle, a stadium that is like their special home fortress.
Together, they have gotten 145 batters out there.
Jayasuriya is nicknamed the 'King of Galle' because he has taken 81 wickets in just 11 games.
Mendis bowls from the other end and makes it hard for left-handed batters to score.
Now, the Indian cricket team has to face them, and India's batters have recently struggled against great spinners.
Two of India's batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, bat left-handed, which makes this even trickier.
Former players say the spinners' skill with the wind and their accuracy will test India, though the pitch might behave differently this time.
Sri Lankan spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis have jointly taken 145 wickets at Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Jayasuriya, nicknamed the 'King of Galle', has 81 wickets in 11 Tests, using the wind for drift and maintaining accuracy.
Mendis has taken 64 wickets in 12 matches at Galle, offering a different angle of attack especially against left-handers.
Indian batters have recently struggled against quality spinners, including New Zealand's Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner and South Africa's Simon Harmer.
India's left-handers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant will face the left-arm and off-spin combination at Galle.
- Who
- Sri Lankan spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, and the visiting Indian batting lineup including left-handers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant
- What
- The spin duo has taken 145 collective wickets at Galle, making the stadium a fortress and a major challenge for India in the upcoming match
- Where
- Galle International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka
- When
- Not specified in the article; the match at Galle is upcoming
- Why
- Because the duo's mastery of local conditions, wind and variations tests an Indian side that has recently struggled against quality spin bowling
Key facts
- Venue
- Galle International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka
- Combined wickets at Galle
- 145 (Jayasuriya 81, Mendis 64)
- Prabath Jayasuriya
- Left-arm spinner, 81 wickets in 11 Tests, nicknamed 'King of Galle'
- Ramesh Mendis
- Off-spinner, 64 wickets in 12 matches at Galle
- India's recent spin struggles
- Defeats caused by New Zealand's Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner and South Africa's Simon Harmer
- India's left-handers in top order
- Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant
- Key commentators
- Former Sri Lankan cricketers Farvez Maharoof and Upul Chandana
Quotes
Farvez Mahararoof
Former Sri Lankan cricketer and commentator
“"Prabath Jaysuriya is going to be the main weapon. We have nicknamed him the 'King of Galle' because of the number of wickets he has taken there. "He knows how to bowl with the wind, and the wind is going to be a major factor in Galle because of the drift the spinners can generate,"”
rediff.com
“"Jayasuriya has quickly become Sri Lanka's top spinner. He largely bowls in the conventional way, you know, he hardly gives any freedom to the batsmen. If the pitch has a different bounce on it, then his accuracy will be very helpful,"”
rediff.com
Sources
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