TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Every time a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI batter hit a boundary, Mohammed Nilam made his presence felt at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) Ground. The Sri Lankan super fan was in the thick of things throughout the opening day of the three-day warm-up match between India and SLC XI.“I remember we met in Delhi during the Test. That Rohit Sharma story of him coming to my home, I remember, my friend,” he told TimesofIndia.com on the sidelines.It was a pleasant winter afternoon in December when almost every Indian cricketer, including Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, stopped by to greet the cheerful Nilam. His love for Indian cricket remains unwavering, even though his heart beats for Sri Lanka. Dressed in an Indian cricket team training jersey, he cheered enthusiastically for the home side.Right behind him, a handful of NCC members were enjoying their weekend with juices flowing and the music was just loud enough to enhance the ambience. After a humid morning, the conditions became pleasant, making it a very watchable afternoon of cricket.
Sri Lankan superfan Mohammed Nilam cheering from the sidelines on the opening day of the three-day warm-up match between India and SLC XI. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
Just like the Colombo weather, the Indian bowlers too found their length in the afternoon session, making the contest between bat and ball gripping.Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, competed with Nilam for the loudest cry in the middle. He had plenty of loud shouts while testing the middle order on a pitch that was hard work for the bowlers. From Mohammed Siraj to Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep, every bowler took time before finding their rhythm. Saransh Jain followed a similar script, becoming the seventh bowler used that day.Strangely, Auqib Nabi, who has joined the team as a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah, didn’t get an opportunity to roll his arm over and continued on drinks duty with the rest of the support staff and the net bowlers. The management didn’t feel the need to give the J&K bowler a warm-up before the series, indicating the direction they are looking to explore for the upcoming two fixtures.
Auqib Nabi was on drinks duty with the rest of the support staff and the net bowlers. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
There was rotation behind the stumps too. Rishabh Pant wore the big gloves when the day got underway. Later, Dhruv Jurel replaced him after patrolling a close-in position from the start of the day. It was a nice workout for the bowlers, who navigated the hot and humid afternoon before getting some respite from the gentle breeze in the closing couple of hours of play.The NCC facility, metres away from the venue that will host the second India-Sri Lanka Test later this month, remained mostly deserted for the three-day fixture. Just when India started picking wickets at regular intervals, the area around the members’ cafe and the media desk became very busy. A handful of spectators eased onto the railing to watch the final few overs, and their proximity to the biggest names in world cricket kept their smartphones busy.The visitors were dealt a blow when Shubman Gill was ruled out for the day because of an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday.“Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress. KL Rahul will lead the team in Gill’s absence,” the BCCI said in an official statement before the day’s play.
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The opening day of the fixture, where India didn’t have an ideal start with their captain not taking the field, was all about volume. The bowlers, Kuldeep in particular, got much-needed overs under their belt and picked up two wickets. SLC XI posted 363 for 8 at stumps. For India, Manav Suthar (2/33), Ravindra Jadeja (2/64), Kuldeep Yadav (2/76) and Gurnoor Brar (1/49) shared the spoils.
Mohammed Siraj taking a breather at the boundary rope (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
There was a bit of turn for the spinners as the day progressed, and it will make the second day more enticing when India bat. The onus will again be on Nilam to keep the mood going in front of the members’ cafe.Brief ScoresSLC XI: 363 for 8 after 90 overs (Ravindu Rasantha 71, Nishan Fernando 66, Sonal Dinusha 52; Manav Suthar 2/33, Ravindra Jadeja 2/64, Kuldeep Yadav 2/76 and Gurnoor Brar 1/49).
