“It would be a disappointing outcome”

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has backed the team to win the upcoming two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka. The opening Test is scheduled to be played at the Galle International Stadium in Galle from August 15-19, while the second will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23-27.

This will be India’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka since 2017. On that occasion, the Virat Kohli-led side completed a 3-0 clean sweep over the hosts.

Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official), the 48-year-old predicted a 2-0 series win for the visitors. He stated that Shubman Gill’s team is much stronger than Sri Lanka on paper and added that anything less than a clean sweep would be a disappointing outcome. He said:

“I would say India should win the series 2-0. If you look at both teams on paper, the Indian side is much stronger. So, if India don’t win the series 2-0, it would be a disappointing outcome. Sri Lanka is a very good team, there’s no doubt about that. But on paper, I feel we are much stronger.”

Overall, the two sides have faced each other in 46 Tests, with India winning 22, Sri Lanka claiming seven victories, and 19 matches ending in draws.

“I think the No. 3 position suits him well” – Wasim Jaffer backs southpaw ahead of Sri Lanka series

In the same discussion, Wasim Jaffer stated that Sai Sudharsan is a solid player who will continue to improve with every game, adding that the No. 3 position suits him well. He suggested that the team should continue with the same top four of KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sudharsan, and Shubman Gill, which featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan last month. He said:

“As far as Sai is concerned, all the selectors and even the captain have said that they want to give him a long rope. He also performed well in the recent series, so I believe he deserves that opportunity. He’s a good player, a solid player, and he’s only going to improve. He’s the kind of character who will just keep getting better. I think the No. 3 position suits him well. Shubman is batting at No. 4 and has been batting really well, so I don’t see the top four positions changing anytime soon.”

The southpaw has featured in seven Tests so far, scoring 383 runs at an average of 31.91, including three half-centuries, with a best score of 87.