{"id":11408,"date":"2026-08-12T04:50:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T04:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=11408"},"modified":"2026-08-12T04:50:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T04:50:32","slug":"i-would-be-very-worried-former-sri-lankan-cricketer-names-indias-biggest-weapon-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=11408","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I would be very worried&#8217;: Former Sri Lankan cricketer names India&#8217;s biggest weapon | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133169171,imgsize-106542,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg\" alt=\"'I would be very worried': Former Sri Lankan cricketer names India's biggest weapon\" title=\"India\u2019s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"India\u2019s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo)\">India\u2019s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes India could opt for three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar potentially getting the nod ahead of uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>India will be without the retired Ravichandran Ashwin and injured Washington Sundar for the first Test, leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/ravindra-jadeja\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ravindra Jadeja<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/player-profile\/kuldeep-yadav\/63187\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kuldeep Yadav<\/a> as the likely first-choice spinners. The bigger selection question is who joins them in the XI.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Maharoof feels Suthar could have an advantage because of his ability to extract bounce from the surface. Sri Lankan pitches can offer assistance to spinners through bounce rather than simply producing substantial turn, making that quality particularly useful.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Suthar made an impressive start to his international career, claiming seven wickets on his debut against Afghanistan. Jain, meanwhile, is yet to make his India debut but has also put himself in contention after touring Sri Lanka with India A.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>The 31-year-old off-spinner picked up seven wickets on that tour and also contributed an unbeaten 70 while batting at No. 7.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>However, Maharoof believes Suthar&#8217;s ability to generate bounce could outweigh the benefit of having an off-spinner for variation, even if that would leave India with three left-arm spinners.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>&#8220;If you ask me, I would be tempted to go with the two left-arm spinners as well as Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep is a frontrunner to start in Galle, especially considering his record and the number of wickets he took in the last Test against Afghanistan.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>&#8220;I see three spinners for India. Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and either Suthar or Jain. Ideally, you would like an off-spinner for variation, but I would not be surprised if Manav Suthar plays because his ability to get bounce off the surface could be very handy in Galle.&#8221;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>Maharoof expects India to go into the Test with a balanced attack comprising three spinners and two seamers.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>&#8220;Overall, looking at India&#8217;s bowling line-up, it is quite competitive, with two seamers and three spinners.&#8221;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Maharoof warns Sri Lanka about Rishabh <keyword id=\"19900230\" type=\"General\" weightage=\"20\" keywordseo=\"pant\" source=\"keywords\">Pant<\/keyword> threat<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Maharoof also singled out Rishabh Pant as a major threat for Sri Lanka, despite the wicketkeeper-batter&#8217;s modest returns in India&#8217;s three-day warm-up game in Colombo.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Pant scored just two and 28 in the match, which India won by six wickets. <!-- -->However, Maharoof believes those scores should not give Sri Lanka any confidence ahead of the Test, given Pant&#8217;s ability to transform a match within a short period.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>&#8220;If I were in the Sri Lankan dressing room, I would be very worried about Rishabh Pant. He is a player who, within half an hour or 45 minutes, can completely change the game.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>&#8220;We have seen him do it in the past. He has that X-factor and has been given the licence to play his natural game. <!-- -->He is going to face a lot of left-arm spin and off-spin.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>Maharoof expects Sri Lanka to rely heavily on spin against Pant, predicting that the hosts will field two frontline spinners along with two part-time options. But he believes Pant&#8217;s unconventional approach could still make him difficult to contain.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>&#8220;Sri Lanka will surely go with two frontline spinners as well as two part-timers, but the way Pant scores runs, with his unorthodox style, he is going to be dangerous.&#8221;<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/news\/i-would-be-very-worried-former-sri-lankan-cricketer-names-indias-biggest-weapon\/articleshow\/133169139.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo) Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes India could opt for three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar potentially getting the nod ahead of uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain.India will be without the retired Ravichandran Ashwin and injured Washington Sundar [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rishabh-pant-and-shubman-gill.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"India\u2019s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo) Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes India could opt for three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar potentially getting the nod ahead of uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain.India will be without the retired Ravichandran Ashwin and injured Washington Sundar [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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