The World Test Championship is back, and India are on the road once again! They haven’t had to travel far, though, since Sri Lanka are the hosts of a two-Test series across Galle and Colombo. The first Test will start on Saturday, August 14 at the picturesque Galle International Stadium.

Both teams won’t be at full strength. The home side will be without star batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, while India will miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan. Nevertheless, an interesting series filled with talented names beckons.

Sri Lanka haven’t won a home Test against India in a while. In fact, it’s been quite a few years since the two-time World Test Championship finalists even toured the island nation. It’ll be interesting to see how the two teams fare.

India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.

Sri Lanka’s squad for the Test series against India: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

SL vs IND 2026: Conditions in Galle a relative unknown as India start favorites

The Galle International Stadium used to produce turners, but its nature has been unpredictable in recent times. It has become more batting-friendly in recent years, while a bit of rain is also on the forecast for the first Test.

Taking those factors out of the equation, it’s still easy to say that India are the favorites for this contest. The challenge posed by Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis is a notable one on a turner, but their numbers haven’t been particularly impressive on flatter surfaces. Moreover, the Sri Lankan pacers don’t have a great record in home conditions.

India’s batting unit has a few weaknesses, but their bowling makes up for it. The returning Ravindra Jadeja adds balance, while Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are incredibly threatening bowlers. The pace attack has performed well, too.

Sri Lanka have had some plucky displays in the longest format in recent times, but India can be expected to come out on top in the opening game of the series.

Prediction: India to win the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka.