TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: “Come 15th morning whether we are batting first or bowling first we will be absolutely ready with every answer to every question thrown at us.”India head coach Gautam Gambhir came prepared with the war cry when his troops assembled at the Nondescripts Cricket Club in Colombo for their first practice session on the crucial two-Test tour. The weather stayed clear, allowing the visitors a proper morning hit before another intense session on a very humid afternoon the following day. The Shubman Gill-led unit arrived in Sri Lanka 11 days before the series opener in Galle on August 15.There will be enough practice sessions, including a three-day warm-up fixture, before the first Test, ensuring ample opportunity to acclimatise to the local conditions. Additionally, conditions will be familiar for six of the 15 squad members who were part of two fixtures in the India A vs Sri Lanka A series last month.India have had mixed outings in the longest format over the past year; they drew a series in England (2-2) they would have fancied themselves to win and then suffered a tame surrender against South Africa (0-2).The scheduling meant India lacked ideal preparation for the South Africa series, as they had to adjust to different time zones and formats within a matter of days. The result: a whitewash that left plenty to ponder.Not much changed for the one-off Test against Afghanistan; most players switched from the IPL to the red-ball grind within days, but the opposition did not pose the kind of challenge that could have raised further questions over the scheduling.The questions around scheduling and preparation can well take a back seat this August, as the Test squad is well-rested and has enough time, in the coach’s words, to “tick all the boxes” before taking the field in Galle.Though there are some injury concerns. The team are without Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar (at least for the first Test). However, the 14 available players (Sai Sudharsan is yet to receive clearance from the CoE) are fit and raring to go. They also have a variety of net bowlers — Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Vipraj Nigam and Shivang Kumar — to aid their preparations.Ravindra Jadeja has had the longest lean period, having last played in the IPL. Mohammed Siraj and Rishabh Pant have also been cooling their heels since the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.In the build-up to the series, several players prepared individually: Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul trained indoors in rain-hit Mumbai, while Shubman Gill had some productive sessions in Chandigarh. Pant flew to Ranchi to spend some time with former India captain MS Dhoni.To keep their World Test Championship final qualification hopes alive, India need to board the flight back from Colombo with a 2-0 series victory.The road in this format has not been smooth; it has been littered with pertinent questions. The next three weeks offer the team management and the squad the opportunity not only to find those answers, but also to rediscover their lost glory.
