India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka got underway in Galle on August 15.
Team India hoisted the Tricolour in Galle on August 15, celebrating the nation’s 80th Independence Day ahead of their opening Test match against Sri Lanka.
Skipper Shubman Gill, alongside the coaching staff led by Gautam Gambhir, spearheaded the flag-hoisting ceremony, keeping alive the long-standing tradition of celebrating Independence Day while on overseas tours.
The BCCI shared a video of the special moment on social media with caption: “On the occasion of Independence Day, #TeamIndia gathered at Galle to hoist the Tricolour ???????? ahead of the First #SLvIND Test.”
This opening fixture against Sri Lanka marks India's 600th Test match since making their format debut in 1932. India became the first Asian team and only the third side after England and Australia to play 600 Tests.
The two-series against Sri Lanka is extremely crucial for Gill’s men as they aim to go up in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings.
India currently sit fifth in the WTC points table, holding 52 points and a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15%. They need to win six or seven of their remaining nine Test matches in the current cycle to secure a spot in the WTC final.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. Speaking at the toss, captain Shubman Gill said: “We're gonna bat first, looks like a good wicket and the weather also looks good, so hopefully it's gonna be a good day of cricket for us. We've gone with the same playing XI that we played the last match. We've got five bowlers, two fast bowlers and three spinners. Very big honor for me, every time you get an opportunity to lead your country, and even more so special on this occasion. Independence Day for us and 600th Test match, so looking forward.”
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Lahiru Udara, Nishan Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando