Sri Lanka have never won a Test in India and with Virat Kohli\u2019s men on a run of near-flawless home form the visitors are unlikely to break their duck in a three-match series starting in Kolkata on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In a bumper home season, which started in September 2016, India won 10 of 13 test matches, with their solitary defeat coming against Steve Smith\u2019s Australia.<\/p>\n
Even on home ground Sri Lanka have struggled against India, losing 9-0 across all three formats in July and August.<\/p>\n
Under Kohli, the world\u2019s top-ranked test side have won eight consecutive series dating back to 2015, and Sri Lanka look incapable of stopping them from winning a ninth to tie England and Australia for the record for most consecutive test series wins.<\/p>\n
After being hammered at home by India, Sri Lanka then won a two-Test series against Pakistan 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates but subsequently lost all eight limited-overs matches against the same opponents.<\/p>\n
Their test record in India inspires little confidence as they have failed to record a single victory in 17 matches, the last of which was played eight years ago.<\/p>\n
Former captain Angelo Mathews and spin spearhead Rangana Herath were the only two current squad members who played a part in that 2009 series and Sri Lanka will lean on them heavily once again.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas hopes the players have learned from the recent home series whitewash but wants them to focus on their own strengths instead of the Indian threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mistake you can make here is come and be infatuated with the Indian side and concentrate too much on them,\u201d Pothas said on the team\u2019s arrival in India.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know they are a good side. We only played them a month ago. We have to concentrate on our strengths and jobs, and if we can execute them well it will be a challenging series.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe series against India was a huge learner for us. I also mentioned that if we didn\u2019t learn from a very good team then that would have been the biggest error.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Sri Lanka\u2019s bowling attack must find a way to stop the likes of Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara from scoring heavily, their batsmen will have to contend with India\u2019s dual spin threat of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.<\/p>\n
Most sides have found off-spinner Ashwin and left-armer Jadeja too hot to handle but Sri Lanka might be in for an even rougher ride with the pair likely keen to prove a point after being overlooked by selectors for India\u2019s limited-overs sides.<\/p>\n
While good news is in short supply for Sri Lanka they will at least be thankful for not having to face 24-year-old all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is being rested having played non-stop from the Champions Trophy in June.<\/p>\n
Pandya made his test debut in the series in Sri Lanka and made a big impact, hitting a maiden fifty and hundred while taking four wickets with his medium pace bowling.<\/p>\n
Many have touted the series against Sri Lanka as a chance to prepare for a tough tour to South Africa at the end of the year but India wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha said the hosts were focused on only one team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like the Sri Lanka series is to prepare for South Africa,\u201d Saha told reporters. \u201cIt\u2019s a standalone series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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