Former Indian off-spinner and commentator Ravi Ashwin has insisted that the Galle surface is expected to assist spinners comparatively. Notably, India is scheduled to take on Sri Lanka in the first Test of the two-match series, starting on Saturday, August 15, in Galle.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin strolled down memory lane when the former Indian pacer S Sreesanth bowled brilliantly and scalped a five-wicket haul in Galle, highlighting the importance of bowling good lines and lengths to do well on this surface.
“I think 80% of the wickets at Galle have been taken by spinners. I think that trend will continue. I don’t remember the year, but Sreesanth bowled a brilliant spell and took five wickets at Galle. So if you bend your back a bit and put in good effort, you will get help. I see pacers coming into it,” Ravi Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Furthermore, Ashwin advised the Indian skipper Shubman Gill to utilise the Indian spinners properly to dominate the proceedings and hold an advantage over the hosts. Moreover, he reckoned that the Galle pitch will initially assist pacers and then spinners will have their fair share.
“In Sri Lanka, you will never get to see from the top if the pitch is one where the ball will turn. From the top, it stays dry. There is enough speed and bounce. It looks like a typical Galle pitch, I feel there will be a little bit of bounce and some help for fast bowlers initially. And then as the game pans out, it will turn on the first day too, but by five days it will become a slow turning pitch, which Sri Lanka fancies always. The team winning the toss will have an advantage, and if they can bat long, it will be a huge factor,” he said.
“The first thing to note in Gill’s captaincy will be whether he plays three spinners or four. I think he will play only three. It will be important to see which spinner he uses from which end. He has to nail that. I feel Gill has to get this magic potion ready,” he concluded.
