Kotak says warm-up beat extra practice after India’s comfortable win over Sri Lanka XI

# What happened

# Kotak's main point Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told a BCCI video that the competitive intensity of the practice match made it more useful than several more days of routine training. He argued that the bowlers bowled with the required intensity, batters faced meaningful situations, and the game allowed everyone — including bowlers — to get batting time and the necessary workload.

# Standout performances Devdutt Padikkal was the standout batter, unbeaten on 142 off 164 balls. India declared their first innings at 357/6 in response to Sri Lanka XI's earlier 363/8 declared. Kotak singled out Padikkal's innings as particularly good.

India's pace unit also drew praise. Kotak said the fast bowlers put in a lot of effort on a pitch that offered little assistance. He named Gurnoor Singh alongside Mohammed Siraj for contributing unexpected power hitting in the lower order, each clearing the ropes multiple times.

# Why the match mattered Kotak's argument rests on three practical points:

• Match intensity: Bowlers and batters face match-like pressure that nets and drills can't reproduce.
• Role exposure: The warm-up allowed multiple bowlers to bowl meaningful spells and gave non-regular batters a chance to face live bowling.
• Momentum: A successful, competitive fixture builds confidence and match readiness before the first Test in Galle on August 15.

# Context and follow-up India's declaration and chase structure produced useful game scenarios: Sri Lanka XI's 363/8 declared, India's 357/6 declared with Padikkal's 142, Sri Lanka XI's second-innings 200/6 declared, and India's 207-run chase. Shubman Gill returned to the field on the final day and made a brisk 44 off 54. Mohammed Siraj finished with an unbeaten 32 off 15, including four sixes, underlining the lower order's ability to accelerate.

Kotak framed the fixture as a productive dress rehearsal ahead of the Test series, giving bowlers and batters the specific load and situations they need to face in match conditions.

# What this means for the Test series The match provided run-scoring practice, bowling workloads and finishing practice for lower-order hitters. Kotak believes those match conditions are more beneficial than simply adding training days, implying the team enters the Galle Test with match-ready intensity and defined takeaways on fitness, roles and tactics.