Nagpur pitch better than Kolkata, feels Chandimal

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal is hoping that senior spinner Rangana Herath will be more effective in the second Test against India as the track here has less grass as compared to Eden Gardens. Herath could bowl only eight overs across two innings in the first Test at Kolkata.

Dinesh Chandimal

"Rangana Herath is a wily old fox. On this wicket, he can be handy. On a green top at the Eden, he wasn't as effective," Chandimal said at the pre-match media conference. Chandimal termed the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium strip as a "good Testmatch wicket."

"There isn't much grass like Kolkata. We saw so much of grass (covering on the pitch) at the Eden Gardens. This looks much lesser compared to Kolkata. This looks like a good Test pitch. It's a challenge for us as a team. We are looking forward for the game," Chandimal said.

Elaborating on his definition of a good wicket, Chandimal replied: "The first few days will be good for batters. Then it might turn. That's the kind of wickets I can think this one is." Chandimal felt that the drawn first Test has given Sri Lanka confidence that they might win their first ever series in India. "It is a big challenge for us as a team to come here and win a game or a series. I am sure we can do some miracle here. We have to do our basics right, stick to our game plans," the skipper said.