After experiencing a day of unseasonal rains that brought Mumbai to a standstill, the Sri Lankan team woke up to a clearer sky on Thursday. But though the rain stayed away, the carnage it left behind ensured that the visitors could do little in terms of their preparation for the Test series against India. The Lankans reached the ground more than an hour before the Board President’s XI team did, but they had to sit around waiting for the umpires before heading indoors again. There was a pitch inspection at 1 pm, but it proved to be a mere formality as play was called off again.

Team manager Brendon Kuruppu, however, said that the visitors used the unexpected time off profitably. “We have missed two full days of practice, but we’ve spent our time well, practicing indoors and utilising the facilities,” the former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman said. “Going to Ahmedabad earlier than planned in order to get in an additional outdoor session before the first Test is an option,” he said.

Sri Lanka have a poor history in India, especially in the game’s long format — 14 Tests without ever really coming close to winning. But Kuruppu insists that the present lot not only has an extra spring in its stride, but also a venomous sting in its tail. “We’ve done well in Tests in the last two years all over the world. This young lot is brimming with confidence,” he says. “Our batsmen have done well here on most occasions. But never before has a Lankan team landed in India with such a strong bowling attack,” he says.

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