SL vs IND: India's strongest playing XI for 1st Test against Sri Lanka - Predicted

The first Sri Lanka vs India Test will kick-start from 15th August in Galle.

The Indian Cricket Team is all set to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on August 15 at Galle International Stadium, Galle. It is an important series for the visiting side, as they are currently fifth in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC)) 2025-27 points table.

The Indian playing XI for the series opener is a major talking point among fans, as the team will miss a few of their key players due to injuries, including their primary fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and number three Sai Sudharsan.

However, head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill will be feeling relaxed as some of the players stepped up to perform in the recent warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, which ended on August 9. On that note, let’s have a look at the probable India XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

India’s probable playing XI for the opening SL vs IND Test in Galle

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal will be seen opening the innings, as the young batter is a regular starter for the Test team. Currently averaging 48 in Test cricket, he is seen as one of the great prospects in the format. In the recent warm-up match, he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings but made a brilliant comeback with a 63 in the second innings.

2. KL Rahul

KL Rahul will be seen opening alongside Jaiswal, as they have been India’s regular opening combination in Tests over the last few years. Together, they have enjoyed plenty of success, providing strong starts to the innings, especially away from home. Rahul looked in decent touch in the warm-up game, scoring 40 runs in the first innings.

3. Devdutt Padikkal

We may see Devdutt Padikkal coming in at number 3. He will be replacing Sai Sudharsan, who is currently injured and out of the series. Devdutt impressed many after his blistering knock of an unbeaten 142 runs in the recent warm-up match. Padikkal has represented India in only two Test matches so far, and is expected to be seen in the playing XI after a wait of more than a year.

4. Shubman Gill

Captain Shubman Gill will walk in at number 4, which is his preferred position, and he has scored a lot of runs in this position over the last year, not letting fans miss the great Virat Kohli, who used to own this position in the Test team before his retirement. Since January 2025, he has scored the third-most runs in Test cricket, with 1,109 runs in 10 innings at an average of 73.93.

However, there was an injury scare surrounding Gill after he suffered a blow to his right ring finger during a training session. He did not feature in the first innings of the warm-up game but played in the second innings and scored 44 runs.

5. Rishabh Pant (wk)

Rishabh Pant will don the gloves, and the wicketkeeper-batter is expected to be seen batting at number 5 as usual. Pant is known for his entertaining knocks in the longest format of the game. Over the years, he has proved that he is the best man for the wicketkeeper-batter role, averaging over 43 in Test cricket. Even though he is not a regular starter in white-ball formats, Pant is a must-have in the red-ball team.

6. Dhruv Jurel

With Rishabh Pant expected to take the gloves, Dhruv Jurel, who serves as Pant’s backup in the team, might be considered as an option to play as a specialist batter. The young wicketkeeper-batter has impressed everyone with his ability to handle pressure, and he could provide depth to the Indian team’s batting lineup.

7. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of Indian cricket. He has close to 350 wickets and has scored more than 4,000 runs in Test cricket for India. He is a regular starter for the team, and on the spin-friendly wickets of Sri Lanka, Jadeja will be a danger to the hosts.

8. Manav Suthar

The Galle International Stadium is known for its spin-friendly pitches, and we might see the Indian team starting Manav Suthar again. Suthar made his debut in the Test series against Afghanistan and impressed everyone with his bowling. The 24-year-old spinner took seven wickets in his debut match, including a five-wicket haul. He is also handy with the bat, and we may see him scoring some runs down the order.

9. Kuldeep Yadav

On a spin-friendly pitch, we might see the Indian management pick three spinners, and the chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav may be seen rolling his fingers. Kuldeep is the only wrist-spinner in the team, and even though he has been a regular member of the Indian team, he hasn’t had many chances to play in the Test XI. In the 18 Test matches he has played, he has taken 79 wickets.

10. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj has been a regular starter for the Indian Test team for years, and he has provided the Indian team with many successful performances with the ball.

With Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the series, Siraj is now the primary fast bowler for the Indian team in the series against Sri Lanka. He has had a few iconic spells against Sri Lanka across formats, and they have been one of his favourite opponents to play against.

11. Prasidh Krishna

The Indian management has a dilemma over selecting either Prasidh Krishna or Gurnoor Brar to support Mohammed Siraj in the pace-bowling attack. Gurnoor has shown his abilities in the recent warm-up game. However, Prasidh Krishna might make the cut given his seniority and experience.

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