The India vs Sri Lanka Test series is over. It took six days, almost, to complete two Test matches, which gave Rohit Sharma a very flattering debut as Test captain, gave India another home series win and gave real cricket fans nothing to latch on to.
While the second Test, which ended rapidly earlier on Monday, was always going to come to an inglorious end in three days and a bit (in a best-case scenario), the fact that even the Mohali Test earlier, which was on a batting paradise, says a lot about how much of a fight was put up by the visitors.
View this post on Instagram
Ironically, the Chinnaswamy Stadium track in Bengaluru, which saw explosions of dust, turn and bounce from Ball 1, was where the Sri Lankans, for the only time in four innings, crossed the 200-mark.
Virat’s 100th Test: A lookback at Kohli’s Test career so far
That effort by itself needs to be lauded, since two batsmen – skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis finally put up a fight, with the captain returning with a century he should cherish, such were the vagaries of the track.
While that was all very well, overall, Sri Lanka had very little to offer for most of the six (almost) days that the series lasted.
Not that the Bengaluru track helped. One wonders what purpose of playing Test matches on such pitches is. No one really wins here. The team with a better mental make-up put up the figures and ends up with a so-called ‘victory’.
The fact that Rishabh Pant scored the fastest-ever Test half-century by an Indian, or that Shreyas Iyer scored a critical 92 in the first innings were just blimps on a track where the bowlers, from both sides, partied.
View this post on Instagram
Even when the Test was on, the focus of most conversations was on the upcoming Indian Premier League. So, this series was basically was to somehow get over things, and the Karnataka association gentlemen did a brilliant job of setting up a sand trap that ensured that things won’t hamper the preparations for the actual event for too long.
It is a poor reflection on the mindset of the cricket board that so much emphasis is on franchise cricket. Sure, the money is massive, but to give such second-grade treatment to Tests is not on. Might as well not play such series.
Sri Lanka were never really looking to give this a real go, as was evident from their playing XI from the first Test. Mohali was a batting-friendly track but the islanders went in with just four frontline bowlers, which made it quite clear that they would be happy to bat out the match without a result.
Not that it made much difference, and by the time they reached Bengaluru, it was pretty clear that this would be over quickly. Mercifully.
India, on the other hand, can’t really be too impressed. Ravindra Jadeja rules the first Test, but truth be told, everyone should have got a century there.
The second saw some quality stuff from Iyer, Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin, but the bowling achievements need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
View this post on Instagram
But now it is over and we can look forward to the fun and games of the IPL. But this series won’t be remembered. Or missed.
