India’s Sri Lanka warm-up match reduced to three days

Sri Lanka Cricket has shortened India’s warm-up fixture to three days ahead of the two-Test series beginning on August 15. The Indian team will arrive on August 4, with the revised schedule confirmed ahead of preparations for the red-ball contest

Colombo: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced a change to the fixtures for India’s tour of the country for a two-Test series, reducing the duration of the warm-up match by one day ahead of the series.

The warm-up match has been reduced to three days from the originally scheduled four-day fixture.

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“Team India will play a three-day warm-up match instead of the originally scheduled four-day fixture. The warm-up fixture will commence on August 7 at the NCC Grounds, Colombo,” SLC said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Indian team is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on August 4.

The first Test will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19, while the second Test will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo from August 23 to 27, the statement said.

However, the statement did not specify the reason for reducing the warm-up match by one day or indicate whether the proposal came from SLC or the BCCI.

Earlier, off-spin all-rounder Saransh Jain earned his maiden Test call-up, while veteran spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned to the red-ball setup for the first time since November 2025 after the BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the two-Test series.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah also returned to the Test squad after missing the home series against South Africa last November. However, the BCCI said his availability would depend on fitness clearance after he sustained an injury during the recent three-match ODI series in England.

Jadeja has been sidelined since the IPL 2026 season after suffering a tennis elbow injury. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar, who is recovering from a right hamstring strain that ruled him out of the Lord’s ODI, was unavailable for selection for the first Test, paving the way for Saransh’s maiden call-up.

India squad for the Tests against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal and Saransh Jain.