Leg-spinner Amit Mishra is confident of an improved display by India in the second Test following their 63-run defeat at Galle.

The loss has put the tourists in a spot of bother as they now have to win the remaining two Tests for their first series success in the Island nation in 22 years.

Mishra, 32, who has been recalled to the side after three years insists the first Test setback has not affected the team morale and they are all up for a fight in Colombo.

“We will go harder at them and put in double the effort in this Test. Whatever little mistakes we made in the first Test we will work and improve on them.  There is no change in team morale,” he said.

The batsmen’s failure to chase down 176 at Galle has raised questions about their ability to tackle spin as all 10 wickets in the second innings fell to Sri Lankan spinners Rangana Herath (7-48) and Tharindu Kaushal (3-47). However, Mishra maintains the batsmen are not bad players of spin attributing their tentativeness to a lack of match practice since it was only their third Test in eight months.

“All our batsmen are among the best against spin,” he stressed. “Whenever we bowl to them even in nets, it doesn’t look like that (they cannot play spin). Under pressure anyone can make a mistake but that doesn’t mean our batsmen face difficulties against spin,” he added.

The Indians got a boost Tuesday when opener Murali Vijay, recovering from a hamstring injury, batted fluently in the nets showing no signs of any discomfort.