India won the toss and opted to bat in their 600th Test at Galle on August 15. The match began at 10 am IST, with live streaming available on Sony LIV
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 1: All you need to know
Anish KumarNew Delhi6 min read Last Updated : Aug 15 2026 | 9:42 AM IST
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India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat against Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday, as the visitors marked their 600th match in the longest format on the country’s 80th Independence Day.
Gill said the surface looked good for batting and India went into the match with three spinners — Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar — alongside pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
“We are gonna bat first. Looks like a good wicket. Same playing XI that we played in the last match. Looking forward,” Gill said after the toss.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said he would also have preferred to bat first. The hosts picked two specialist fast bowlers and two spinners along with two all-rounders.
“We would have batted first as well. Two fast bowlers, two spinners and two allrounders. Iconic ground, I am very happy to captain in this match,” Dhananjaya said.
The match is being televised on Sony Ten 1 HD/SD with English commentary, while live streaming is available on the Sony LIV app and website.
India entered the series fifth in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) standings with a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15, having registered four wins, four defeats and a draw. Sri Lanka are sixth with a PCT of 41.67.
According to CricViz data, a 2-0 series victory in Sri Lanka would lift India’s PCT to 57.58.
| India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 1 session timings | |
| Session/Break | Time (IST) |
| Session 1 (Morning session) | 10 am to 12 noon |
| Lunch break | 12 noon to 12:40 pm |
| Session 2 (Post-lunch session) | 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm |
| Tea break | 2:40 pm to 3 pm |
| Session 3 (Post-tea session) | 3 pm to 5 pm |
| Extended play, if required | Up to 5:30 pm |
| Day 1 action can continue until 5:30 pm IST, if required, to complete the mandatory 90 overs. |
What does the Galle pitch look like?
There is hardly any grass on the Galle surface, though the fast bowlers could find some assistance early in the match, according to Sanjay Manjrekar’s pitch report.
Spin is expected to have a major influence as the match progresses. Galle has been the most spin-dominated Test venue since 2023, with slow bowlers accounting for 177 wickets.
India, however, enter the Test with several batters possessing strong records against spin.
Since 2023, Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 1,148 Test runs against spin at an average of 76.53, while Gill has accumulated 1,073 runs at 56.47. They lead international batters for Test runs against spin during this period.
Rishabh Pant averages 47.53 against spin over the same period, while Jadeja has averaged 45.70. India collectively average 35.3 against spin since 2023.
Scattered rain is expected during the Test along with considerable heat and humidity. Crosswinds at the ocean-adjacent venue could also help spinners generate drift.
The surface is expected to remain relatively favourable for batting during the opening two days before offering greater assistance to the slow bowlers.
Gill’s captaincy form strengthens India’s batting
Gill enters India’s landmark Test after producing a significant improvement in his batting numbers since taking over the captaincy.
He averaged 35.05 across 59 Test innings as a player before becoming captain, but that figure has risen to 82.76 across 15 innings as skipper.
Gill has scored 1,076 Test runs as captain, including six centuries and a career-best 269. Among Test captains with at least 10 innings, his average is second only to Don Bradman’s 101.51.
India have Jaiswal and KL Rahul at the top, with Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Pant and Dhruv Jurel forming the rest of the specialist batting group.
India go with three spinners
India have selected three specialist spin options for the Galle Test, with Suthar joining Kuldeep and Jadeja in the playing 11.
Suthar impressed on his Test debut against Afghanistan and also performed well in the warm-up fixture against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI.
Siraj and Prasidh complete India’s bowling attack, with the team opting for the latter ahead of Gurnoor Brar.
India playing 11: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Keshara Nuwantha makes international debut
Sri Lanka handed an international debut to 25-year-old off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, who received his Test cap before the start of play.
Nuwantha had made an impression against India during the warm-up match, dismissing Rahul, Gill and Pant. He has played only 15 first-class matches and took three wickets in the tour game at the NCC in Colombo in his most recent outing.
Lahiru Udara comes into the top order in the absence of the injured Pathum Nissanka, while Niroshan Dickwella returns to the Test side following Kusal Mendis’ injury.
Sri Lanka have gone with Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando as their specialist fast bowlers, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Nuwantha provide the frontline spin options.
Sri Lanka playing 11: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wicketkeeper), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.
What do the numbers say about Galle?
Galle has produced results with remarkable consistency. The venue has the third-lowest percentage of drawn Tests among grounds to have hosted at least 30 matches, at 14.28 per cent.
Of the 27 Tests played there since 2014, only one has ended in a draw — the rain-affected match involving Bangladesh last year.
India also carry a strong recent record against Sri Lanka, having won eight and drawn two of their previous 10 Tests against them. Sri Lanka’s last Test victory over India came at Galle in 2015.
Jadeja enters the Test two wickets short of the 350-wicket mark in the format.
| Match officials | |
| Role | Name |
| On-field umpires | Ahsan Raza, Rod Tucker |
| Third umpire | Sharfuddoula Saikat |
| Match referee | Andy Pycroft |
| Galle International Stadium venue guide | |
| Detail | Information |
| Stadium | Galle International Stadium |
| City | Galle, Sri Lanka |
| Capacity | 35000 |
| Ends | City End, Fort End |
| Home team | Galle Cricket Club |
Which TV channel will telecast India vs Sri Lanka first Test live?
The India-Sri Lanka first Test will be telecast live on Sony Ten 1 HD/SD with English commentary.
Where can fans watch India vs Sri Lanka first Test live streaming?
The live streaming of the India-Sri Lanka first Test will be available on the Sony LIV app and website.
Topics :India vs Sri LankaIndia cricket teamSri Lanka cricket teamCricket NewsTest Cricket
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First Published: Aug 15 2026 | 9:17 AMIST
