Former Indian player names Manav Chatur as potential successor to Ravindra Jadeja

Before the start of the test series against Sri Lanka, the Indian team played a three-day practice match against SLC XI (Sri Lanka Cricket Eleven). This match took place at NCC Ground in Colombo, and during the second day (August 8), the Indian batsmen demonstrated impressive play. Devadhe Padikkal scored a magnificent century, and Ravindra Jadeja also managed a half-century innings.

However, among all the events, the fast bowler Gurnoor Barar attracted the most attention. He hit four sixes in one over against Sri Lanka's spinner, Dilum Sudira. Since Barar is primarily a fast bowler, such aggressive play from the lower order delighted the Indian dressing room. Head coach Gautam Gurjeev was also impressed by his hits and supported him with applause.

In the last over of the day, Dilum Sudira came to bowl. After Padikkal scored one run and passed the strike to Barar, the Indian pacer displayed the power of his bat. Barar sent the second ball for six runs over deep mid-wicket, and the next ball for six runs right in front of him. When attempting a sweep on the third ball, he failed to score any runs, which did not affect his aggression. The fifth ball of the over he sent for six runs towards the stadium over deep mid-wicket. Finishing the over with a sixth ball that he sent for six runs over deep extra cover, Barar provided a powerful conclusion to the day. Thanks to this over, India earned 25 runs, and the total score exceeded 350.

Padikkal strengthens his claim for the number three spot

During the second day of the game, India batted for 90 overs, scoring 357 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. The most successful Indian batsman on that day was Padikkal. His unbeaten performance of 142 runs made him a contender for a spot in the first team for the first Test. Sai Sudarshan could not recover from his injury and has been excluded from the Test series. With Sudarshan absent, the number three spot opened up, and thanks to Padikkal's big innings, his chances for this spot are considered high.

Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja decided to retire due to injury after scoring 63 runs. Manav Suthar (41 runs) and Kel Rahul (40 runs) also showed useful performances. Gurnoor Barar scored 36* runs off just 18 balls, including four sixes and two fours. While Padikkal, Rahul, Jadeja, and Suthar spent a lot of time at the crease, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel could not play big innings.

Rishabh Pant fell victim to off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, scoring only two runs. He attempted a big shot over long-on against the spin, but the ball touched the edge of the bat and went towards long-off. Dhruv Jurel also managed only one run, and Mendis dismissed him. The poor performances of both batsmen in Sri Lanka's spin-friendly conditions present an area that the management team should pay attention to.

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa highly praised 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Uthappa believes that Vaibhav has the potential to have an impact in limited-overs formats comparable even to Sachin Tendulkar's influence.

Uthappa noted that many young players have appeared in Indian cricket previously who attracted attention at an early age, but whose careers did not develop as expected later on. He cited Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw as examples, emphasizing that proper guidance and discipline are critically important for further progress after initial success.

In an interview with Combox TV, Uthappa stated that Vaibhav is capable of making an impact in baseball cricket surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's influence, but this will depend on how his career is managed. He recalled players like Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, who were given high hopes at the age of 17-18, but whose careers subsequently declined.

Vaibhav recently debuted for the Indian national team in international cricket at a very young age. Although his start on the tour of England was modest, he demonstrated an impressive comeback during the T20 series against Zimbabwe, receiving the 'Player of the Series' award.

In Uthappa's opinion, Vaibhav possesses exceptional talent, but his main task now is to learn how to handle the pressure that arises off the field. If he can overcome these difficulties, Indian cricket could gain another great batsman.

Ashutosh Sharma, the star batsman of Delhi Capitals (IPL), surprised everyone with his all-rounder skills in England. Ashutosh, who is generally known for big sixes, delivered a tremendous performance with the ball rather than the bat on this occasion.

Playing for Hampshire, Ashutosh bowled 10 overs against Essex in a One-Day Cup match, conceding 51 runs and taking 5 crucial wickets. This performance from Ashutosh, who usually bats, was the main attraction of the match.

Essex, having won the toss and batted first, posted a large score. Opener Noah Thaine played a brilliant innings of 109 runs off 96 balls, which included 17 fours and one six. Additionally, Matt Cricheli (43) and Grant Roloffsen (52) scored quickly. Amidst all this, Ashutosh Sharma continuously took wickets and significantly contributed to limiting Essex's total to 317 runs by shaking the foundation of Essex's batting in the middle overs.

Ashutosh Sharma, who usually bats aggressively, displayed excellent control in his bowling, which is considered the most memorable bowling performance of his career. His bowling allowed Hampshire to continue the match, otherwise, Essex could have reached close to 350.

Chasing the target of 318, Hampshire's start was not satisfactory. Nick Gubbins (53), Fletcher Middleton (47), and Tom Prest (51) steadied the innings. Ashutosh Sharma managed only 16 runs with the bat, but his bowling had already changed the course of the match. James Fuller played an explosive innings of 58 runs off just 31 balls, while Andrew Neil scored an unbeaten 33 runs to lead the team to a thrilling 3-wicket victory.