India's Test tour of Sri Lanka will kick-off in Galle on August 15.
India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka is all set to get underway on August 15 in Galle. The series is extremely crucial for Shubman Gill’s men as they look to climb from fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings.
With two weeks remaining for the Test series, a report published in TOI claims that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and skipper Gill are taking a cautious approach to regain full fitness.
Bumrah suffered an impact injury on his left knee while fielding during the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 17, which forced him to miss the series decider at Lord's. His rehabilitation reportedly involves a gradual increase in bowling workload.
While Bumrah’s participation in the Sri Lanka Test series is subject to fitness clearance, the BCCI medical team is confident of his readiness for the opening match.
“Bumrah will start bowling this week and his workload will be gradually increased. He needs to get used to bowling longer spells again. The medical team at CoE will be closely monitoring it, and the initial reports are that he should be good to start the first Test. These two Test matches are very important for India. Dropping even one Test here will put immense pressure on the team to qualify for the WTC final next year. That’s why the team management wants Bumrah to be available in prime shape for the series,” TOI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
On the other hand, Gill is managing a chronic neck problem. In pursuit of specialized care, he has sought help from external specialists outside of the BCCI medical network to address the long-term issue effectively.
“Gill has been battling the neck pain for some time. It flares up every now and then, especially when he bats for a longer period. He has been consulting specialists outside BCCI for treatment and he is much better now. It’s an ongoing process. India felt his absence in that South Africa series. That’s why he has taken a cautious approach in addressing the chronic issue,” the source said.
According to the report, left-handed Sai Sudharsan is also making steady progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury. He is expected to resume batting at the Centre of Excellence next week, and the BCCI medical team has given a positive update on his availability for the series opener.
Like Bumrah, Sudharsan has been included in the 15-member squad subject to fitness clearance.
India’s squad for Tests against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill [C], KL Rahul [VC], Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant [WK], Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain
Note: Sai Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah’s availability will be subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI COE.