India face Sri Lanka in the first Test of their two-match series at the Galle International Stadium from Saturday, August 15. The match starts at 10:00 AM local time and 10:00 AM IST. Both Tests form part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
India enter the series fifth in the WTC standings with a points percentage of 48.15, while Sri Lanka sit just behind them in sixth at 41.67. India also arrive after beating a Sri Lanka Cricket XI by six wickets in their only warm-up match, where Shubman Gill returned from a minor finger problem and Ravindra Jadeja impressed with both bat and ball.
Sri Lanka have home advantage but will be without two important batters. Kusal Mendis has been ruled out through a hamstring injury and Pathum Nissanka is recovering from wrist surgery. That is particularly important for fantasy players because Kusal Mendis appears in the supplied Dream11 screenshot but is not available for the first Test.
IND vs SL Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Sri Lanka vs India, 1st Test |
| Series | India Tour of Sri Lanka 2026 |
| Date | Saturday, 15 August to Wednesday, 19 August 2026 |
| Time | 10:00 AM local / 4:30 AM GMT / 10:00 AM IST |
| Venue | Galle International Stadium, Galle |
| Format | Test, up to five days |
| Captains | Shubman Gill (India), Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka) |
| WTC Position | India: 5th, 48.15 PCT; Sri Lanka: 6th, 41.67 PCT. |
| Form | India: arrive after a six-wicket warm-up victory over Sri Lanka Cricket XI. Sri Lanka: are looking to rebound in the WTC race after a difficult recent Test run. |
| H2H | 46 Tests: India 22 wins, Sri Lanka 7 wins, 17 draws. |
Dream11 Team for IND vs SL, 1st Test
Top Picks for IND vs SL, 1st Test
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | IND | C / Batter | Captain pick. Gill missed the first two days of India’s warm-up after being hit on his right ring finger but returned to score 44 from 54 balls. India’s coaching staff subsequently said he was ready for the Test. |
| Ravindra Jadeja | IND | VC / All-Rounder | Strong vice-captain option on a surface expected to turn. Jadeja scored 63 in India’s first warm-up innings and took 2/64 and 2/33 with the ball. |
| KL Rahul | IND | Batter | Rahul adds experience at the top of India’s order. Bowling coach Morne Morkel specifically highlighted the importance of Rahul’s experience ahead of the series. |
| Dinesh Chandimal | SL | WK-Batter | With Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis unavailable, Chandimal becomes even more important to Sri Lanka’s batting lineup. He is confirmed in the 16-man squad for Galle. |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | SL | Bowler | One of the strongest alternatives outside the supplied Dream11 XI. Jayasuriya is in Sri Lanka’s squad and his left-arm spin makes him especially relevant on a Galle surface expected to offer increasing turn as the match progresses. |
| Mohammed Siraj | IND | Bowler | With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Siraj leads India’s pace group. Morkel noted that Siraj’s experience will be important as the Kookaburra ball becomes softer in Sri Lankan conditions. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Galle International Stadium, Galle |
| Pitch Type | The surface is expected to begin relatively true before offering greater turn as the Test progresses. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said the pitch looked good initially but expected conditions to change later in the match. |
| Batting | Batters should look to capitalise early when the surface is at its best. As footmarks develop and the wicket wears, batting against spin could become progressively harder. This is an inference from the pre-match pitch assessment. |
| Pace vs Spin | Spin should become increasingly important. India are considering a spin-heavy combination, while Sri Lanka have Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and Keshara Nuwantha available. |
| Kookaburra Factor | Morkel expects the Kookaburra ball to become softer after roughly 20-35 overs, making sustained pressure from the seamers more difficult and increasing the role of spin. |
| Toss Factor | There is a slight preference for batting first because the surface is expected to deteriorate and turn more as the match progresses. Weather conditions on the first morning could still influence the final call. |
Galle has historically been a venue where winning the toss and making good use of the better early batting conditions can be valuable. However, showers and humidity could offer the fast bowlers assistance with the new ball, particularly early on Day 1.
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Day 1, August 15 | Around 31°C, humid and breezy, with a couple of morning showers and intervals of cloud and sunshine. |
| Day 2, August 16 | Around 32°C, with some morning rain followed by brighter periods later in the day. |
| Day 3, August 17 | Mainly cloudy and humid, with morning rain and the possibility of one or two showers later. |
| Day 4, August 18 | Around 32°C, with a possible morning shower before partly sunny conditions. |
| Day 5, August 19 | Around 32°C, with some morning rain and mostly cloudy conditions. |
| Overall | Rain could interrupt play at different stages across the five days, but the current forecast does not suggest a complete washout. Humidity and changing moisture levels could also affect the new ball. |
IND vs SL Toss Prediction
Batting first gets the slight preference because Galle pitches can become increasingly difficult against spin as the match progresses. India’s own pre-match assessment expects the wicket to start relatively true before offering more turn later.
The weather adds another layer to the decision. Morning showers are possible on Day 1, so a captain who sees moisture or cloud cover at the toss could instead choose to bowl and attack with the new ball.
If Shubman Gill (India) wins the toss, batting first looks slightly more likely if the surface is dry. India have Rahul, Jaiswal, Gill, Pant and potentially Devdutt Padikkal in the top order, while Jadeja and the spinners would then get the chance to bowl later on a more worn pitch. India’s final balance could include a spin-heavy attack.
If Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka) wins the toss, he could also prefer batting first and allowing Prabath Jayasuriya and the other home spinners to operate in the fourth innings. However, any visible moisture after the forecast morning showers could change that approach.
Injury and Team News
India
India arrive in Galle with several important absentees. Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the entire two-Test series because he has not fully recovered from a left-knee injury. Uncapped fast bowler Auqib Nabi was named as his replacement.
Sai Sudharsan is also out of the series with a toe stress injury, with Sarfaraz Khan called up as his replacement. Devdutt Padikkal strengthened his case for the vacant No. 3 position by making 142 from 164 balls in the warm-up match.
Washington Sundar is unavailable because of a hamstring injury, while Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also among India’s sidelined players.
There was an injury scare around Shubman Gill after he was struck on the finger during training, but he returned on the final day of the warm-up and scored 44. The Indian camp said the precaution had worked and that Gill was ready for the first Test.
Ravindra Jadeja’s return is another major boost. He had been out since suffering a tennis-elbow injury in May, but his warm-up performance of 63 runs and four wickets showed encouraging signs before Galle.
Key players: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain and experienced opener), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
Predicted India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel/Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
India’s exact combination remains uncertain. The management must decide between extra batting depth and a third specialist spin option, while Padikkal is the leading candidate for the No. 3 slot following his warm-up century.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka have two significant batting absences. Kusal Mendis has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Pathum Nissanka misses the match as he continues his recovery from wrist surgery.
Kusal Mendis’ absence has opened the door for Niroshan Dickwella, who has returned to the Test squad for the first time since 2023 and is the designated wicketkeeper in the 16-man group.
Dhananjaya de Silva will captain the home side, with Kamindu Mendis serving as vice-captain. Sri Lanka have also included uncapped batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara and off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, while Dilshan Madushanka has returned to the Test squad.
Their bowling options include Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando and Madushanka. With the Galle pitch expected to take increasing turn, Jayasuriya and the spin combination could be central to Sri Lanka’s plans.
Key players: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain and all-rounder), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and Lahiru Kumara.
Predicted Sri Lanka XI: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.
Sri Lanka’s final combination could change depending on the pitch. Keshara Nuwantha provides another spin option, while Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka and Milan Rathnayake are additional pace choices in the 16-player squad.
