After a slew of white-ball matches in Ireland, England, and Zimbabwe, the Indian cricket team will be back in whites in August with a tour of Sri Lanka comprising two Test matches.
India hosted and beat Afghanistan last month in Mullanpur by an innings and 300 runs, with debutant left-hand spinner Manav Suthar bagging the Man of the Match award for his impressive bowling, which included a first-innings six-wicket haul.
However, Suthar may be pushed to the bench in Sri Lanka as Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested from the one-off Test against Afghanistan, is expected to return, and so is Jasprit Bumrah.
The one-off Test vs Afghanistan wasn’t part of the ICC WTC cycle, but the upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka is crucial for Shubman Gill’s side as they aim to keep their chances high of reaching the WTC final.
When is the India vs Sri Lanka Test series?
The IND vs SL Test series will be played from August 15. The first Test will be hosted in Galle and the second in Colombo. This series is part of the ongoing ICC WTC 2025-27 cycle. India are currently fifth on the ICC WTC points table, and Sri Lanka are just below in the sixth position.
Talking about the potential India Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, Bumrah and Jadeja are expected to return and replace Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar in the playing XI.
Further, as per a report in Cricbuzz, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will not get the nod as he is undergoing rehabilitation for a quadriceps injury that he sustained during the ODIs against Afghanistan last month.
Reddy, anyway, was unlikely to feature on the spin-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka, with Washington Sundar, who is also recovering from an injury, likely to hold that role. If Sundar doesn’t make the squad due to his leg injury, Harsh Dubey would be in line to get a spot in the squad.
Will Auqib Nabi be picked in the India squad for the Sri Lanka Test series?
There are also some who are wondering whether the selectors will include Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi in the Test squad for the first time.
Nabi was the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy last season, helping J&K win a historic title. Subsequently, he was picked as a net bowler for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan. However, the selectors are unlikely to pick more than three fast bowlers – Bumrah, Siraj, Prasidh – for a two-Test series in Sri Lanka.
IND vs SL: India Squad For Test Series In Sri Lanka – Predicted
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul (vc), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Devdutt Padikkal, Gurnoor Brar/Harsh Dubey, Washington Sundar (subject to fitness clearance)
When was the last time India played a Test series in Sri Lanka?
The last time India played Test cricket in Sri Lanka was nine years ago, in 2017, when India whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the three-Test series. Shikhar Dhawan was named the Player of the Series.
What is India’s record in Sri Lanka in Test cricket?
India have a positive record in Sri Lanka in Test cricket. Out of the 24 Test matches India have played in Sri Lanka, India won 9, lost 7, and the rest Tests ended up drawn.
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