Confident India target first overseas Test series win in three years vs Sri Lanka

India is on the verge of their first overseas Test series victory in three years, leading the series 1-0 against Sri Lanka. Skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal face pressure to perform with the bat, having shown recent vulnerabilities against spin and pace, respectively. A 2-0 clean sweep could elevate India to the fourth spot in the World Test Championship rankings. India's last overseas Test win was against the West Indies in July 2023. Since then, they lost to Australia and shared series with South Africa and England away from home. Recent home defeats against New Zealand and South Africa have dimmed their recent form, but a 165-run win in the first Test at Galle provided relief, especially after two shattering home defeats. Gill and Jaiswal are under scrutiny. Gill, despite scoring two hundreds in his last six Tests, has shown weakness against spin, particularly left-arm orthodox bowling. Jaiswal, who scored a century against the West Indies last year, has only made one fifty in his last eight innings, often getting out playing aggressive shots against pace bowlers. Gill’s dismissal twice by Prabath Jayasuriya at Galle highlights this vulnerability. Kuldeep Yadav struggled in the first Test, taking only one wicket in 25 overs despite the pitch favoring spin. His replacement, off-spinner Saransh Jain, could be considered, but dropping a senior bowler after one match might signal a shift in strategy. Sri Lanka’s top-order must improve to avoid another lopsided contest, especially with in-form bowlers like Kamil Mishara and Sahan Arachchige expected to play a key role. If India completes a 2-0 clean sweep, they could climb to fourth in the WTC rankings with 57.58 points. Bangladesh, currently fourth with 66.67 points, might drop to fifth if they lose the second Test against Australia at McKay, resulting in 55.56 points.