IND vs SL: India Waste No Time as Preparation Begins in Colombo

Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo

Nine years is a long time in Test cricket, and nowhere is that more evident than in India’s return to Sri Lanka. The last time they toured the island for a Test series, in 2017, Virat Kohli was at the height of his powers, leading a side that had made winning a habit. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay walked out to open the innings, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were still waiting for their Test debuts, and India sat comfortably at the summit of the ICC Test rankings. librea.one

The landscape looks vastly different in 2026. Much of that touring party has either retired or faded from the national set-up, while the aura that once surrounded India’s red-ball dominance has given way to searching questions. With a place in the WTC final hanging in the balance, this is not merely another overseas assignment. It is a defining series for a team attempting to rediscover its identity in the longest format.

As for Sri Lanka, they were struggling then, and little has changed. While Team India have been in transition over the past year, Sri Lanka’s transition phase appears far from over.

Most of the current Indian squad, including the captain, will be playing Test cricket in Sri Lanka for the first time. India have struggled badly in overseas conditions in both red-ball and white-ball cricket, with their adaptability coming under scrutiny on several occasions in the recent past. Keeping that in mind, the visitors have arrived in Sri Lanka early to acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the series, which begins on August 15.

The Indian team understands what is at stake, and that is why there is a sense of urgency. Less than 24 hours after landing in Colombo on Tuesday afternoon, the visitors will hit the nets.

The first training session will be held from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm local time at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC). Interestingly, India have never trained there before. The same venue will also host their three-day practice match, which begins on August 7. As confirmed by RevSportz earlier, the fixture will be against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI.

Three practice wickets and four indoor nets have been made available for the Indian team to fine-tune their preparations. However, concerns remain over the weather in Sri Lanka’s capital. The forecast is not encouraging. If it rains, the drainage system at the NCC is not particularly efficient. Even half an hour of rain could be enough to wash out the entire practice session. In that case, India will likely to opt for indoor training.

For the three-day practice match, the pitch is expected to be on the flatter side, as has been the case at the NCC for many years. If that proves to be the case, it will not be ideal preparation for India ahead of the first Test. Rain is also expected to be a factor throughout the match, with the forecast predicting a greater than 50 per cent chance of precipitation on all three days.

Once the practice match is over, team India are likely to travel to Galle on August 10.

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Former Pakistan Test opener Sadiq Mohammad has criticised Pakistan's batting approach in the second Test against West Indies in Port of Spain, saying the tourists' batsmen failed to apply basic techniques against the moving ball and lacked the intent to put the bowlers under pressure.

In a series of messages shared with this correspondent, the 81-year-old, who represented Pakistan in 41 Tests between 1969 and 1981, suggested that Pakistan's batsmen should stand approximately two feet outside their crease to negate seam movement and disrupt the West Indies bowlers' rhythm.

"Asad Shafiq, kindly send message to Babar Azam and other batsmen to stand two foot out of their crease," Sadiq wrote.

Asad is the batting coach of Pakistan on their ongoing West Indies tour.

"This will stop ball movement and good length ball will become full length ball to drive it. This will also disturb their bowling line and length," Sadiq said.

Sadiq argued that advancing outside the crease would force the bowlers to alter their lengths while allowing batsmen to meet the ball before it had time to move significantly off the pitch.

The former opener was equally critical of the batsmen's technique, saying they repeatedly allowed the ball to come too deep before playing their shots.

"All batsmen played with bat behind their both leg and that's why most of the ball went behind square," he wrote.

"It means you letting the ball hit bat, batsman must play backfoot or forward with bat beside their front foot, not behind or beside their back foot."

According to Sadiq, Pakistan's top-order lacked positive intent and failed to seize scoring opportunities against the seamers.

"All batsmans were afraid of driving or hitting the ball," he said.

"Top five batsmen must take risk to hit the ball rather then blocking, apply all your basic in playing forcefull or defensive stroke."

Sadiq also urged the coaching staff to communicate technical advice directly to the batsmen while they were at the crease.

"This is your job to teach them and send messages to onfield batsmen by taking bat or gloves," he wrote.

Sadiq, regarded as one of Pakistan's most technically accomplished opening batsman of his era, has been technically too smart to analyse the things.

Latter Sadiq also told this correspondent that Asad Shafique like batsmen should be carried with the team, adding he has sone his job and played an exceptional knock to strengthen Pakistan position in the second Test.

After securing 43 runs lead in the first innings thanks to Abdullah Shafique's spectacular 160 and an 88 from Babar Azam the tourists have reduced the hosts to 103-6.

West Indies now lead by 60 runs with four wickets in hand.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan picked 4-32.

Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has revealed that his team will not play any practice matches before the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Team India next year.

"We feel as though we've got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won't be taking on a practice game. It'll just be more around the location," he said on cricket.com.au.

"We've got a couple of options there. We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we're just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals," added the head coach.

He then feels that a preparatory camp can help his team adapt to the conditions in India.

"Ultimately, if you can have a dedicated venue that you're able to use and replicate as close to the conditions that you believe you may get in the first Test match or throughout a Test series, that's ideally what you want. You case those locations - you want a connection in terms of conditions and climate. We believe we'll get that right in terms of where we go, it just hasn't been confirmed yet," said McDonald.

Andrew McDonald calls for larger squads for ODI World Cup 2027

Earlier, the Australian head coach said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should allow teams to carry more members in their squads with the increase in the number of matches for the ODI World Cup 2027.

"This is going to be a pinnacle event. I think there is an argument to say, great, you have put more games in front of us, give us larger squads, allow us to play the way that we need to play within those conditions, and then also you have got the ability to carry those potential stars of the game that are under injury clouds leading in because the cricket leading into the World Cup is demanding, so you are going to have some people that potentially are 50-50 at that point in time. So let us carry the best players in there. Give us larger squads to be able to navigate through the early part, and then hopefully the pinnacle event has the best players playing, rather than being ruled out early on due to injury and the attritional nature of a World Cup," he said.

(With Inputs from Agencies)

Former India pacer and mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise Zaheer Khan has found a new role and this time in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Zaheer has become co-owner of one of LPL’s most successful franchise – Jaffna Kings – Stockholm-based global sports ownership group Anchor Sports AB completed the acquisition. The Kings have won the LPL title a record four times so far.

Zaheer, who claimed 311 wickets in 92 Tests and 282 wickets in 200 ODIs for Team India, was part of the ODI World Cup 2011 title-winning team with Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. He had also served as the team mentor of Sanjiv Goenka’s LSG team till IPL 2025 and also served as Head of Cricket Development with Mumbai Indians.

Following the acquisition, the franchise have officially been rebranded as ‘Anchor Jaffna Kings’, marking the beginning of a new chapter under their new ownership. Zaheer joins Anchor Sports owner Nagendra Siddoutam as co-owner as the group continues to expand their presence in global franchise cricket.

The acquisition adds another prominent cricketing name to the Lanka Premier League, with Zaheer bringing decades of international experience to a franchise that has set the benchmark in the competition. Jaffna have won four LPL titles in five completed seasons and are once again among the frontrunners this year, sitting in the top two of the points table with four wins from six matches under the captaincy of Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

Zaheer Khan enters cricket ownership!

The former India pacer is now a co-owner of the Jaffna franchise in the Lanka Premier League, with the team officially rebranded as Anchor Jaffna Kings under new ownership.

A new chapter begins for one of the LPL’s most successful… pic.twitter.com/UwgPy44sGP

— Third Man View (@3rdManView) August 5, 2026

Welcoming the new ownership, Anil Mohan Sankhdhar, Founder and CEO of Innovative Production Group (IPG), the official rights holder of the Lanka Premier League, said: “We welcome Anchor Sports on board and to the LPL family as they take over the iconic Jaffna franchise. Jaffna has been a legendary team in the six-year history of the league, winning four championship titles and setting the benchmark for excellence. We are confident that Anchors Sports will build on this remarkable legacy, bring fresh vision and energy to the franchise and continue to elevate the standard of the Lanka Premier League. We look forward to an exciting new chapter for Jaffna and wish the new ownership every success.”

Zaheer Khan, Co-owner of Anchor Jaffna Kings, said: “I’ve always admired the calibre, innovation and variety of bowling talent that comes out of Sri Lanka, it’s a country I’ve visited, competed in, and hold very fond memories of. To now be part of Sri Lankan cricket as an owner is something I’m genuinely thrilled about, and I can’t wait to get started with the Anchor Jaffna Kings.”

The acquisition further expands Anchor Sports’ international portfolio, which includes the Antwerp Anchors in the European T20 Premier League and the Vancouver Anchors men’s and women’s teams competing in Canada’s Super 60 League.

Samantha Dodanwela, Tournament Director of the Lanka Premier League, said: “Having an owner of Zaheer Khan’s calibre involved with the Anchor Jaffna Kings is a real boost for the league. The mentorship and direction he can offer our young Sri Lankan players will be enormous, and we’re excited to see that experience passed on both on and off the field.”

New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): India has included Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian and Vipraj Nigam among their net bowlers ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle from August 15 onwards.

As per the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian batters, who have had their share of struggles against spin at home, have ramped up their preparation against the tweakers in spin-friendly Sri Lankan conditions by adding four spinners to their net bowlers line-up.

“Update: Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian and Vipraj Nigam have joined the Indian squad as net bowlers to assist the team in the build-up to the first Test against Sri Lanka," said BCCI’s statement.

Harsh, a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, had made his Indian debut during the ODI series against Afghanistan, taking four wickets in two matches. He had made his way into the Indian side after promising performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), taking eight wickets in eight matches at an average of 28.50 and a solid domestic season before that for Vidarbha.

24-year-old Shivang, a left-arm wrist spinner, had also been a regular for SRH in the IPL this year, taking nine wickets in 13 matches at an average of 41.66 and, like Harsh, is a very handy lower-order batter. Recently, he has shown solid performances in the MP T20 League, scoring 194 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 176.36 with a half-century and taking seven wickets.

Tanush, 27, a right-arm off-break bowler, is a proven performer for Mumbai in the domestic circuit, with 131 wickets in 44 first-class matches at an average of 27.48, with eight four-fers and three five-wicket hauls to his name. He has also made 2,168 runs in 65 innings with two centuries and 17 fifties at an average of 42.50.

Lastly, Vipraj Nigam, a right-arm leg-break bowler, has been a part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) camp in the IPL for past two seasons, with 13 wickets in 19 matches and is also a handy batsman down the order.

In the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format after the IPL, Vipraj delivered promising performances with seven wickets in five innings, with an economy rate of 5.38 and scored 116 runs in four matches, with a half-century to his name.

The two-match Test series will get underway with the opening game at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19, before the teams move to Colombo for the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club from August 23 to 27.

India’s ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the series as he has not fully recovered from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England.

The Men’s Selection Committee has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Bumrah’s replacement.

India are also grappling with multiple injury concerns ahead of the series, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the opening Test with a hamstring issue, while Akash Deep remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from stress reactions in his back.

The series will form part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Led by Shubman Gill, India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, having registered four wins and four losses in nine matches, with a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.

India’s squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka is: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.

*Subject to fitness clearance. (ANI)

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