India will begin their preparations for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka with a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI, starting on Friday at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. The fixture comes just days before the opening Test in Galle on August 15 and will give Gautam Gambhir’s side a valuable opportunity to adapt to local conditions.The practice game carries added significance for India’s batters, who have struggled against quality spin in recent home Test series against New Zealand and South Africa. Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly conditions are expected to present another stern examination, making the warm-up match an important part of the team’s build-up.Several senior batters, including captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, had already begun individual training sessions against spin before departing for Sri Lanka. However, batting on Sri Lankan pitches against local bowlers is expected to provide a far more realistic test ahead of the series.Many members of India’s current squad are also playing red-ball cricket in Sri Lanka for the first time. In fact, only KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have previous Test experience in the country.India’s bowling attack, led by Mohammed Siraj in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah, will also use the fixture to assess conditions. Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain are among those expected to gain valuable match practice, while Brar and Jain arrive after impressive performances for India A against Sri Lanka A in Galle last month.Head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged the players to make the most of every session before the Test series.“We know what is in front of us. We can do volume, we can push our limits, we can tick all the boxes and come 15th morning whether we are batting first or bowling first we will be absolutely ready with every answer to every question thrown at us.“So make sure to tick all the boxes from now on,” Gambhir said in a video shared by the BCCI.Sri Lanka XI have also named a strong squad for the practice game, led by Sonal Dinusha and featuring experienced pacers Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara, along with spinners Isitha Wijesundara and Ramesh Mendis.India vs Sri Lanka XI warm-up match: Live streaming and broadcast detailsMatch: India vs Sri Lanka XI, three-day warm-up matchVenue: Nondescripts Cricket ClubStart date: FridayMatch timing: 10:00 AM ISTTV broadcast in India: Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HDLive streaming: Sony LIV app and websiteRain has been forecast in the region during the match, which could affect the amount of play available before India begin the Test series on August 15 in Galle.
