Gill eyes WTC final berth as India begin Sri Lanka Test challenge

India captain Shubman Gill said reaching the World Test Championship final next year remains the team’s primary target. Ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series, Gill backed India’s preparation, pacers and young players while stressing the importance of adapting to conditions

Galle: When India will take on Sri Lanka in the opening Test at the picturesque Galle International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, it will also mark India’s landmark 600th Test match and the 50th game at the historic venue.

While the historical numbers add considerable interest to the fixture starting on India’s Independence Day, skipper Shubman Gill made it clear that his primary focus remains firmly fixed on securing a berth in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final.

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India are in fifth spot and need to win almost all of their remaining games to enter the final at The Oval in June 2027. “Very comfortable with the role, and I think the way we have been progressing in the past year has been very pleasing to see from my perspective, and I think we are taking all the right steps in the right direction.

“Obviously, the main goal is to play the World Test Championship final, which is next year. We have got about nine Tests, and I think we have to win around six or seven to have a good chance of qualifying. So in terms of that, I think this is a very important series for us, and we have had the right kind of preparation leading up to the series,” Gill told reporters on the eve of the match.

Unlike past tours often marred by rushed itineraries, India arrived early in Sri Lanka and had a productive warm-up fixture against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo.

“It’s never easy for the players to be able to adapt, and most of the players in this team, I think, require a bit of time to be able to adjust to the conditions. It is not like a lot of the players have a lot of matches or a lot of experience under their belt, so the extra time in preparation definitely helps,” added Gill.

He also had immense confidence in the squad’s fast bowling department despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, and had special praise for pacer Prasidh Krishna.

“Gurnoor Brar is excellent as he can extract bounce with an old ball at a good pace, but Prasidh Krishna is bowling well of late, as we have seen in the warm-up match. So it’s ​a tough call. Prasidh has recently been bowling the best that I have ever seen him bowl.

“Bumrah is not there, but I think it is a really good opportunity for some of the other bowlers to really step up and leave a mark on the series. You have to keep trying different things to be able to take wickets. You have to create opportunities, especially on day 1 and day 2.

“There could be a chance that there is not much happening from the wickets. So how can you create pressure? How can you keep the game from slipping away too much from you? Having those kinds of creative fields is important.”

There was also some praise for left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal, and the tactical challenge Galle brings to the table as a venue. “Devdutt was here earlier with India A and did well. He has got all the skills and the potential to succeed in this format. In grounds like this, which are open, wind sometimes plays a crucial part.

“As a batsman, even in team meetings we talk about if we want to take on a spinner, we have to see if the wind is with us or against us. How can we use that condition in our favour rather than trying to go against it?

“Maybe that is one of the differences between playing in Sri Lanka and India – most of the grounds in India are closed with the stands. In open grounds, the wind plays a huge role.”