Published on: Jul 20, 2026 5:30 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 20, 2026 5:31 pm IST
Team India is all set to tour Sri Lanka for a 2-match Test series in August. The series will be critical for both teams, as it will be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle 2025-27. Ahead of the two Tests in Galle on August 15 and Colombo on August 23, Shubman Gill and his men are scheduled to play a four-day practice match to prep up for the Test series. To ensure the squad is fully prepared for the demanding subcontinental conditions, the Indian contingent is set to land in Colombo on August 4.
The Indian team will play their four-day practice fixture starting August 7 at the historic Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) ground in Colombo. The location offers a strategic advantage, as the venue sits directly adjacent to the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), the stadium chosen to host the second Test match of the series from August 23 to 27.
This multi-day warm-up fixture gives the coaching staff and the selection committee a valuable window to assess match fitness, test spin-bowling combinations, and give batsmen prolonged time at the crease. Playing a full four-day game rather than a shorter two-day affair underscores the management’s intent to simulate genuine Test match workloads and red-ball intensity. Once the practice match wraps up in Colombo, the team will travel south to Galle to put the final touches on their preparations for the series opener.
This upcoming tour holds special significance as it marks India’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka in nearly nine years. The last time the Indian red-ball squad visited the island nation for a Test series was in 2017, when they executed a comprehensive 3-0 series sweep over the hosts.
While India’s most recent red-ball outing was an official one-off Test victory against Afghanistan at home, that fixture did not count toward World Test Championship points. Therefore, returning to Sri Lanka for a full WTC series presents both a familiar environmental challenge and a fresh competitive test for the current squad.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be eager to leverage their home advantage. Following a tough Test series defeat against the West Indies in their previous red-ball outing, the hosts are determined to bounce back on home turf. Spinning tracks in Galle and Colombo historically demand exceptional patience, precise footwork against slow bowlers, and disciplined line and length from pacers.
The upcoming two Test matches carry huge weight for both nations in the context of the World Test Championship 2025–27 standings. India currently occupies fifth place on the WTC table, having secured four wins from nine matches. Sri Lanka sits right behind in sixth position, with one victory from four outings.
With every Test match yielding crucial percentage points necessary to qualify for the WTC Final, neither team can afford a slow start. The four-day practice match in Colombo is designed specifically to eliminate any potential rustiness and ensure India hits the ground running when the first ball is bowled in Galle.