Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Farveez Maharoof has described the absence of retired off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a 'massive miss' for India ahead of the two-match Test series beginning in Galle on Saturday. Maharoof also suggested that a spin troika of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Manav Suthar could serve as India's ideal bowling combination on the island.

Why Ashwin's Retirement Leaves a Gap

Maharoof argued that Ashwin's value in Sri Lanka went beyond turn — it was his ability to extract bounce that made him particularly dangerous in these conditions. 'Ravi Ashwin, whenever he toured Sri Lanka, he did well. It's because in Sri Lanka, all of you talk about the turn. But if you really look in deeply, it is the bounce that picks up wickets for the spinners,' he said.

Maharoof also flagged the unavailability of Washington Sundar as a compounding concern. 'Washington Sundar, he is going to be a massive miss as well because if the pitch is a turner, he could extract bounce as well,' he added. He noted that Ashwin's contributions as a lower-order batter at number six made his shoes even harder to fill.

The Spin Selection Debate

With Ashwin retired in 2024, India's spin succession plan remains unclear. Jadeja is in the latter stages of his career, while Kuldeep, despite claiming 79 Test wickets, has played only 18 Tests since his debut in 2017 — spending the entire five-match England series on the bench.

Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar impressed on debut with a seven-wicket haul against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh in June and followed it up with a solid warm-up performance in Colombo. Though Saransh Jain has also been picked, Maharoof believes Suthar's bounce extraction gives him an edge at Galle. 'I will be tempted to go with the two left-hand spinners as well as Kuldeep Yadav. I think Kuldeep Yadav is a front-runner to start in Galle,' he said.

On Jain, Maharoof was measured: 'Saransh Jain still has not made his debut, but looks a decent bowler. It will be a lot to ask from him on debut against a quality and experienced batting line-up like Sri Lanka.'

The Galle Wind Factor

Maharoof identified adapting to local wind conditions as a critical challenge for India's slow bowlers. He named Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya as the home side's primary weapon, pointing to his record at the venue. 'We have nicknamed him as the king of Galle because so many wickets he has picked up in Galle. He knows to bowl with the wind because wind is going to be a major factor in Galle,' Maharoof said. He stressed that Indian spinners must adapt quickly to the cross-wind conditions once they begin training at the ground.

Pant the Danger Man, First-Innings Scores Decisive

Turning to India's batting, Maharoof singled out wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as the player Sri Lanka should fear most. 'He's a player within a matter of half an hour, or 45 minutes, he can change the game totally,' he said. Pant, on his first Test tour of Sri Lanka, scored just 2 in the first innings of the warm-up game before making 28 in a successful chase of 207.

Maharoof also praised Devdutt Padikkal's solidity at number three and highlighted the importance of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal playing their natural game. He warned against forcing style changes on attacking batters, arguing that first-innings totals would prove decisive in the series. 'It's all about making sure how you're going to start and how you're going to finish in the first innings because first innings scores for me is going to be a massive one,' he concluded.

With the series set to begin in Galle, all eyes will be on how India's reshaped spin unit responds to the conditions — and whether Suthar or Jain can step into the void left by Ashwin.