🏏Sri Lanka vs India, 1st Test, India tour of Sri Lanka 2026🏏 - Page 2

While India are in transition, Sri Lanka are almost in Test exile. India having played only one Test so far this year is an aberration, Sri Lanka playing only two in the last 13 months has become a bit of a rule. In the last eight years, they have played only two series longer than two Tests.

So it is hard to know what to expect of these two sides. Sri Lanka will be desperate to put together two spinners who can ask questions from both ends, India will be desperate to bounce back from the series losses against South Africa and New Zealand in similar spin-friendly conditions.

Sri Lanka's chance, you would believe, lies in winning the toss and getting runs on the board before the ball starts doing more for the spinners as it often does in Sri Lanka. In Pathum Nissanka's absence, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal might have to do the heavy lifting. India's batters will want to avoid being caught on the hop as they adjust to the conditions in the first Test.

What we can expect for sure is landmarks. India will become the third team to have played 600 Tests when they take the field in Galle, which will become the first Asian ground to have hosted 50 Tests.

Form guide

Sri Lanka DLWDL(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLLWW

In the spotlight: Ravindra Jadeja and Prabath Jayasuriya

Ravindra Jadeja is one of the two players in the India squad to have played before in Sri Lanka. He is also the leader of the attack now that R Ashwin has retired, Mohammed Shami is considered not fit enough for Tests and Jasprit Bumrah is injured and not available for this series. This is not the spotlight that Jadeja has ever sought. He prefers to quietly wheel in over after over. Now, at 37, kept in cotton wool during shorter formats so that India can extract all they can from his Test cricket, Jadeja will have to set the tone in Sri Lanka.

Prabath Jayasuriya is one player Sri Lanka can't afford to be out of form. You can't imagine Sri Lanka winning a Test or the series without Jayasuriya, their leading wicket-taker this decade, bowling out of his skin. He has 11 five-fors and two ten-fors in 14 home Tests, but the average of 27.26 is acceptable, not great. He has got the bulk of the wickets, but now he has to do it quickly enough.

Stats and trivia: Dickwella's search for a century

Nobody has scored more half-centuries than Niroshan Dickwella's 22 without a Test century.

Only Shane Warne has scored more runs than Dickwella's 2757 without a century.

Stranded in the middle of the table, both teams need a 2-0 win to stay in realistic contention of making the WTC final.

Quotes

"The main goal is to play the World Test Championship final, which is next year and we have got about nine Tests. And I think we have to win around six or seven to be able to have a good chance at qualifying. So in terms of that I think this is a very important series for us, and we have had the right kind of preparation for this series."

India captain Shubman Gill

"When you think about Test cricket in Sri Lanka the first thing that you think of is the Galle ground. I was lucky to play a lot of cricket here growing up. I'm very happy to be captaining Sri Lanka in the 50th Test here. I've played a lot of school cricket here as well. That experience will be valuable in this series."

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva

As of Aug 14, india played 599 Test - won 186 - beaten 188- Draw 224- Tie 1 - Winning % 31.13

Well last 11 years Sri lanka not beat 🇮🇳india, Gill's 50th test, Indias 600💕 th Test & also

Galle Grounds 50th test 🌹

Prabath (81) & Ramesh (64) both playing today vs india they took 145 test wkt together at Galle Ground - Prabath Jayasurya known as " King Of Galle "

I keep hearing so much about the King of Galle. I’ve never actually seen him play, so I’m more excited for that than anything else.

Gill toss toh jeetoge nhi bas match jeet jana

Let's go India!

Thanks for the tag

Originally posted by: Prizi

Gill toss toh jeetoge nhi bas match jeet jana

Opposite ho gaya

Gill won the tossBat first