'I would be very worried': Former Sri Lankan cricketer names India's biggest weapon

India’s 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 for the first Test, leaving Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the likely first-choice spinners. The bigger selection question is who joins them in the XI.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.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.The 31-year-old off-spinner picked up seven wickets on that tour and also contributed an unbeaten 70 while batting at No. 7.However, Maharoof believes Suthar’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.“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.“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.”Maharoof expects India to go into the Test with a balanced attack comprising three spinners and two seamers.“Overall, looking at India’s bowling line-up, it is quite competitive, with two seamers and three spinners.”

Maharoof warns Sri Lanka about Rishabh Pant threat

Maharoof also singled out Rishabh Pant as a major threat for Sri Lanka, despite the wicketkeeper-batter’s modest returns in India’s three-day warm-up game in Colombo.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’s ability to transform a match within a short period.“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.“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.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’s unconventional approach could still make him difficult to contain.

“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.”