Litmus test for Sreeshankar, Aldrin

Can they replicate their form at World Championships?

- NIHAL KOSHIE

FIVE OF MURALI Sreeshankar's six jumps at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok were over 8 metres, the last of them a remarkable 8.37 metres. Sreeshankar let out a roar after his final jump that sealed the silver medal last month.

A couple of weeks later, Jeswin Aldrin, the national record holder, jumped 8.22m at the Citius Meeting in Bern to finish first.

Aldrin's national record of 8.42m is the best jump in the world this year, Sreeshankar's 8.41 the second best.

Sreeshankar, 24, and Aldrin 21, have been making waves. Sreeshankar finished third at the Diamond League in Paris.

After Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and former discus thrower Vikas Gowda, Sreeshankar became just the third Indian athlete to finish in the top-three in a Diamond League event.

Aldrin hasn't been to the Diamond League this year yet, however he is considered a dark horse because of his ability to produce a big jump on his day.

Sreeshankar proved he can soak up the pressure when he won a Commonwealth Games silver last year but the field at the World Championships will be of a higher quality.

The Indian duo will first have to qualify for the final and given the pressure that comes with a big event, they both will have to hold their nerves and find their rhythm.