India won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle. Devdutt Padikkal and Kuldeep Yadav were included in India's XI, while Sri Lanka handed a Test debut to Keshara Nuwantha.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva defended Niroshan Dickwella’s recall for the Galle Test against India, saying wicketkeeping skills were crucial on the challenging pitch. He also backed fast bowler Lahiru Kumara despite his recent injury setbacks
