Fresh off a comprehensive 165-run win at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle, India will aim to seal the 2-match Test series 2-0 and secure crucial WTC points when they take on Sri Lanka in the second Test starting this Sunday, the 23rd of August, 2026. India seems to have got all bases covered and, despite missing a few key players at the start of the tour, looks set to win this match and the series as well.
The problems are all in the Sri Lankan camp. They will be without the services of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka yet again and will now miss Dinesh Chandimal, who sustained a neck injury. So, three main players won’t feature for the Lankans, but it allows the youngsters to perform at this stage. India will be led by Shubman Gill while Sri Lanka will be led by Dhananjaya de Silva. We are set for an interesting Test match for sure.
Overview
The stage is set for the second and final Test match to take place in this series as the bandwagon has moved from Galle to the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where India will do battle against the host nation Sri Lanka from Sunday, 23rd August, onwards. India are leading the series 1-0 and have fewer issues to worry about, while Sri Lanka has a lot to ponder with team selections and has made a few changes to the side for the second Test. But they will have to play well to upstage India.
In the first Test match at Galle, India won a good toss and elected to bat first. The visitors rode on a majestic maiden Test ton from Devdutt Padikkal, who made 167, KL Rahul’s gritty 82 and Dhruv Jurel’s swashbuckling half-century to post a massive 462 in the first innings to set the Test match up. In reply, Sri Lanka lost their top order early, but it was Niroshan Dickwella, the keeper batter’s 80 and Sonal Dinusha’s 100 that propelled Sri Lanka to 284 all out, even as Manav Suthar picked up 4 wickets and Ravindra Jadeja 3 wickets.
India walked out to bat in the second innings with a lead of 178 runs in the first innings. Rishabh Pant shone through with a breath-taking 66, while Devdutt Padikkal made 44. The rest of the batters were in a hurry for quick runs. Rahul made 35 as they all played too many shots and got out, and India were bowled out for 193 in the second innings with Asitha Fernando picking up 4 wickets and Prabath Jayasuriya 3 wickets.
Chasing 372 for the win, Sri Lanka’s top order crumbled without the injured Dinesh Chandimal and lost their first four wickets for less than 50 runs. Thereafter, captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who was given a reprieve by Jadeja due to his no-ball, applied himself out there and scored a patient 59. While Sonal Dinusha followed up his ton with a gritty 84 in the second innings. He looked good for a ton but fell to the leg slip trap.
Once Dinusha fell, the floodgates opened as Manav Suthar ran through Sri Lanka with 3 wickets in an over and finished with 6 wickets in the innings and 10 in the match as the Lankans were bowled out for 206 to lose by 165 runs. The other bowlers looked really well out there, with only Kuldeep being the bowler struggling out there.
With so many injuries, Sri Lanka has been forced to make some changes to the squad. Pasindu Sooriyabandara made his debut as a concussion substitute, and it remains to be seen whether he continues playing or not. The hosts have dropped struggling opener Nishan Madushka alongside Ramesh Mendis and pace bowler Dilshan Madushanka. They have called in left-hander Kamil Mishara and all-rounder Sahan Arachchige. Sahan replaces Ramesh in the squad. This is being done to counter the threat of Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja.
The captain has confirmed that Mishara will make his Test debut while the final call for Number 3 will be taken soon. No such problems for India, as they will go in with a settled side. If anything, off-spinner and 33-year-old Saransh Jain could make his Test debut in place of under-fire Kuldeep. But if the management decides to back Kuldeep, it won’t surprise one bit. The rest of the players pick themselves.
So, we are all set for an interesting contest at the SSC in Colombo.
Head-To-Head
Sri Lanka and India have played against each other in a total of 47 Test matches. Sri Lanka have won 7 matches while India have won 23. 17 matches have ended in a draw. In the last 10 matches, it’s 9-1 in India’s favour, and they have dominated the rivalry recently.
Pitch & Weather Report
The surface at the SSC Ground is usually flat and friendly for batters during the first couple of days. Pacers might get some early movement with the new ball due to morning moisture, but spinners come into heavy play as the pitch breaks up around Day 3 and Day 4. Winning the toss and batting first is the preferred choice to avoid batting on a wearing fifth-day track.
The weather in Colombo, as far as temperatures are concerned in the daytime, will see highs hover around 29-31 degrees Celsius with high humidity levels near 80%. There is a 50-60% probability of scattered showers and afternoon thunderstorms on most days. While full washouts are unlikely, intermittent rain interruptions and heavy cloud cover are expected to test the players and the ground staff throughout the fixture.
Probable/Predicted Playing XIs of both teams
Here, we will try to predict the probable playing XIs of both teams.
India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav/Saransh Jain, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Sri Lanka XI: Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Sahan Arachchige/Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Shubman Gill: The Indian captain Shubman Gill may have missed out on both innings in the first Test match, but we all know he is a quality player. He is still the best batter for Team India and bats at the most important position at 4. Gill will hope to get himself in and not give his wicket away. He would like to get in and, once he does that, needs to have the stamina to go big. If he does that, he will put India in a strong position.
Manav Suthar: India’s new sensation Manav Suthar is on a roll. He started his career with a 6-wicket haul against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. He followed that up with a 10-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at Galle, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings. Suthar was considered the premier spinner by captain Gill. With the pitch expected to aid the spinners as we go along, Suthar will be a handful and key to success over here.
Sonal Dinusha: Sonal Dinusha was Sri Lanka’s best batter at Galle as he scored 100 in the first innings and 84 in the second innings, scoring 184 runs across both innings. He was the best by a country mile. Batting at 6 is never easy, and he showed great temperament to allow Sri Lanka to compete despite top-order collapses. All eyes will be on him to see whether he can be consistent and keep it going in this Test match. That should be his name.
Prabath Jayasuriya: Sri Lanka’s premier spinner remains Prabath Jayasuriya. He bowled quite well in Galle. He is Sri Lanka’s trump card and picked up wickets for the Lankans. If Jayasuriya gets going with his bowling, he can run through any opposition any day. Jayasuriya will get help at the SSC for sure, and he would like to dominate proceedings and put India under serious pressure in this must-win game for Sri Lanka to salvage the series.
Key Stats and Records to look forward to ahead of this clash
- This will be Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 31st Test, all 31 at different venues.
- Six of Devdutt Padikkal’s 10 first-class centuries have been 150 or bigger.
- Sri Lanka last won a Test against India in 2015, losing nine and drawing two since then.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
It is difficult to predict and say with certainty who will win the game, no matter what the format of the game is going on. The team that plays the better game shall win the Test match. Looking at the current situation of the team, with a spate of injuries bogging down Sri Lanka, it is safe to say they will be underdogs at home. India will start this match as slight favourites but mustn’t get complacent; otherwise, the Lankans might hurt them.
Let’s hope that the rain stays away for most parts and we get a good game of Test cricket at the SSC in Colombo. India will start with their noses in front and just has to guard against complacency.
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