There is an old video that floats on YouTube. It has a snatch of the stump microphone catching Rohit Sharma’s remark about Ravindra Jadeja and in that, the then Indian captain says: “Jaddu, what are you bowling, in IPL he doesn’t bowl no-balls, and here he does.”

Cut to the latest second Test in progress against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, among India’s no-balls, 10 were bowled by spinners with Saransh Jain and Jadeja being guilty of this mistake. It was no surprise that spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule was asked about this malaise in the media interaction on Wednesday.

Reacting to this, Bahutule said: “It is something we have been working on. It is a concern but generally when the bowler is putting in that effort, trying to see how he can create that opportunity and get a wicket in situations where wickets are not coming, he has a tendency to push himself. But this is not an excuse. A lot of work has been put in with Jadeja, and with Saransh, about where the take-off point is.”

Asked if this bad habit seeps in from net sessions, Bahutule countered: “Reminders are given during nets also. It is similar to a match situation. We take every session seriously, it is monitored from the side view. It is monitored generally. Sometimes, I stand as an umpire and other coaches do too.” Later tongue-in-cheek Bahutule said that perhaps a penalty (like a free-hit in limited-overs cricket) could reduce this error in Tests.

Terming Sonal Dinusha as a thorn in India’s flesh, Bahutule stressed that despite the aggressive manner in which the Sri Lankans batted, the spinners did well to rein them in. “Each one played their role. Saransh was defensive, Manav Suthar played his role and Jadeja was tight.”

Gary Kirsten has come a long way. From being the Indian coach under whom M.S. Dhoni’s men won the 2011 World Cup at Sri Lanka’s expense, to now being the guiding force for the men from the Emerald Isle, Kirsten has traversed diverse paths. Sri Lanka’s coach drew heart from the manner in which his wards stretched the first Test.

“From being 90 for five on the third day and to take the Test into the fifth day was pleasing. There was a bit of fight and we were keen to stay in the Test. I was pleased with the attitude of the team but the way we batted, especially our top order, that probably cost us the match,” summed up Kirsten while talking to the media on Wednesday.

From the rival corner, Kirsten praised Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar: “Padikkal played one of the better Test match innings that I have seen. He did not play too aggressively, just played within himself and batted for a long period and it was a good lesson for other batters. Manav has fantastic talent and he is a great spinner in Tests.” Kirsten also termed the pitch as a ‘good one’.

A fluent century from Sai Sudharsan and unbeaten fifties from skipper Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed put the India A firmly in control at 333 for four on the opening day of the unofficial Test series against Sri Lanka A on Thursday (June 25, 2026).

Electing to bat, India A piled up big score at stumps, with Sudharsan laying the foundation with a classy 132 before skipper Jurel (68 not out) and Rasheed (53 not out) carried the momentum forward with a strong unbeaten partnership in the third and final session of play.

Opening the innings, Sudharsan looked in complete command from the outset, displaying his range of strokes and sound temperament to tackle the Sri Lankan attack. The left-hander mixed caution with aggression, capitalising on loose deliveries while remaining patient on a surface offering some assistance to the bowlers.

His century set the tone for India A’s innings after the visitors lost Aayush Pandey following an 82-run opening partnership, and the Tamil Nadu batter’s effort ensured Sri Lanka A were kept on the back foot for large parts of the day.

Sudharsan’s innings stood out for the ease with which he handled the conditions, as he patiently built his knock before accelerating once settled at the crease. His runs came off 175 balls, with 19 boundaries to boot.

The left-hander’s performance also underlined his growing maturity in red-ball cricket, as he combined solid defence with attacking stroke-play to put the pressure back on the hosts.

His dismissal brought no respite for Sri Lanka A, with Jurel and Rasheed ensuring the scoring rate remained healthy. India scored at 3.87 runs per over, and 86 overs of play was possible on the day.

Jurel, leading the side, took charge with a composed knock, rotating the strike well and punishing the bad balls. Rasheed provided able support at the other end, showing confidence against both pace and spin as the pair extended India A’s advantage in the final session.

Sri Lanka A’s bowlers at times found some assistance from the surface, with left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera (2/98 in 29 overs) among the successful ones, but India A kept the scoreboard moving through disciplined batting.

All in all, the Sri Lankan bowlers struggled to contain the Indian batters as partnerships kept building, with the visitors dominating proceedings through a combination of disciplined batting and controlled aggression.

With momentum firmly in their favour, India A will aim to convert their commanding start into a big first-innings total.

The four-day fixture is part of India A’s multi-format tour of Sri Lanka and provides an opportunity for several promising players to push their case for selection in the senior men’s team.