India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat in the opening Test match against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday. This fixture marks a significant milestone for the visitors, representing India’s 600th Test match in their cricketing history.
The venue itself is also celebrating a major achievement, as Galle becomes the first stadium in Asia to host 50 Test matches. For the encounter, India has opted for a bowling attack featuring two fast bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, alongside a spin-heavy lineup consisting of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Manav Suthar.
Sri Lanka has included 25-year-old off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, who makes his Test debut for the hosts. The Sri Lankan side is led by captain Dhananjaya de Silva, while India’s batting order includes K.L. Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel.
The match is being officiated by umpires Sharfuddoula from Bangladesh and Rod Tucker from Australia, with Ahsan Raza of Pakistan serving as the third umpire. Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe is the designated match referee for this historic contest.
