India tour of Sri Lanka 2026 | First Test | Preview and Predictions

India resume their quest to make the World Test Championship final after stumbling at the end of last year at home. The Men in Blue picked up an important win at home against Afghanistan and will now look to build up some winning momentum against hosts Sri Lanka.

For the first Test of India’s 2026 tour of Sri Lanka, here we present our preview and predictions.

India tour of Sri Lanka 2026 | 1st Test | 10:00 IST, August 15–19, 2026

While captain Shubman Gill has been in sublime form with the bat, his injury-proneness is becoming an issue. At the top of the order, India will continue with the tried and tested pair of the experienced KL Rahul and the young Yashasvi Jaiswal. India’s go-to No. 3, Sai Sudharasan, was ruled out just before the series, but Devdutt Paddikal’s form in the warm-up game will be a big boost for the camp given the overall inexperience of the middle order, which is arguably their biggest worry.

With Rishabh Pant going through a lean patch, and the team not having a secured No. 5, Dhruv Jurel will bat in that slot, meaning India will field two wicketkeepers in their playing XI.

Ravindra Jadeja will again be key lower down the order, bringing stability to the team. The squad has a couple of inexperienced spinners in Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain, one of whom is likely to start. Both are handy with the bat as well. Kuldeep Yadav will be the second spinner, with Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj leading the bowling attack. One of Gurnoor Brar or Prasidh Krishna will also feature: given Brar impressed on his debut against Afghanistan at home, he could have an advantage over Krishna thanks to his X-factor.

The hosts, meanwhile, announced their squad just a couple of days before the series, with Dhananjaya de Silva leading the squad. Sri Lanka are without Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis at the top due to injuries, so veteran Niroshan Dickwella returns to the national squad after a gap of three years. Nishan Fernando is expected to open, and while there is not a lot of experience at the top of the order, the likes of Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Menis will be key for Sri Lanka, as will be captain de Silva in the middle order.

Asitha Fernando will lead the Lankan bowling attack and will be supported by Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Dilshan Madhushanka. The hosts have gone with three spinners: Prabath Jayasuriya will be the main spinner, and he will be supported by either Sonal Dinusha or Milan Rathnayake.

Galle provides a spin-friendly track, which will offer a lot of runs, so the hosts may have some advantage. However, the experience and overall quality of the visitors set them apart, and so we back the Men in Blue to win this Test, especially given their stronger bowling attack. 

Fantasy XI: KL Rahul (c), Nishan Fernando (wk), Shubman Gill, Dinesh Chandimal, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Kuldeep Yadav, Asitha Fernando, Gurnoor Brar, Prabath Jayasuriya

Venue: Galle International Stadium, Galle
Winners Prediction: India