India ended Day 1 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at 300/5, but former India cricketers Ajay Jadeja and Sanjay Manjrekar felt the visitors had missed an opportunity to build a much bigger total in Colombo.
Devdutt Padikkal once again stood out, scoring another century with a patient unbeaten hundred. However, the other Indian batters repeatedly got starts before throwing their wickets away, which Jadeja felt would concern head coach Gautam Gambhir.
“Every batsman who came in, got a start, but only Padikkal was able to raise his bat.”
Jadeja pointed out that India’s own high standards meant that reaching 300 was not necessarily enough, especially after choosing to bat first.
The final over added to India's frustration when Ravindra Jadeja was bowled by Asitha Fernando. Jadeja initially attempted to leave the delivery but realised too late that it was coming back towards his stumps.
MANJREKAR EXPECTS 500
Sanjay Manjrekar was even more demanding about India's position. Given the pitch and India's batting depth, he believed the visitors should be targeting around 500 runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal made 40 before being dismissed by Fernando, while Shubman Gill also got a start without converting it into a major score. Manjrekar felt India could have been in a much stronger position if either batter had gone on to make a big score.
Jaiswal's dismissal also produced a heated exchange with Fernando, with the Indian opener appearing to head-butt the Sri Lankan pacer before players intervened.
At stumps, India were 300/5, with Dhruv Jurel and debutant Saransh Jain at the crease. Rishabh Pant remains to come, although he had earlier been hit on the leg by a Lahiru Kumara bouncer and required treatment. The team management subsequently confirmed that Pant was fit to bat.
With Padikkal unbeaten and Pant still available, India still have an opportunity to push towards the 450–500 range on Day 2—the kind of total Jadeja and Manjrekar believe would better reflect the batting conditions and India's potential.
