India’s red-ball trip to the island nation has turned into one of the more closely watched Test assignments of the year, and with the series now moving to its final leg, fans have a long list of questions — where the match is being played, why a key bowler is missing, and what the head-to-head history looks like. Here’s a complete breakdown.
The Series at a Glance
India are playing a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle. This tour marks India’s first Test visit to Sri Lanka since 2017, and it carries extra weight because both teams badly need points — India are currently placed fifth in the WTC standings after a tough 2-0 home defeat to South Africa, while Sri Lanka have had their own inconsistent run in the format.
Before the series got underway, the Indian squad played a four-day practice match in Colombo from August 7 to 10, which helped the batters and bowlers get used to local conditions. The Test series itself opened at the Galle International Stadium on August 15, and after a hard-fought contest, it now shifts to Colombo for the series decider.
Where Is the 2nd Test Being Played?
The second and final Test of the tour is being held at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo — one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most historic cricket venues, established back in 1952. The SSC is generally known for offering better batting conditions early in a match compared to Galle, though the pitch tends to slow down as the game progresses, bringing spinners firmly into play by the third and fourth days.
2nd Test — Date, Time and Key Details
- Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Colombo
- Match Dates: Sunday, August 23, 2026 to Thursday, August 27, 2026 (a five-day Test)
- Start Time: 10:00 AM local time, which is also 10:00 AM IST
- Session Timings: Play begins at 10:00 AM, lunch break from 12:00 to 12:40, tea break from 2:40 PM to 3:00 PM, and the day’s play concludes at 5:00 PM (subject to extension based on light)
- Broadcast in India: Sony Sports Network (SD & HD), with streaming on SonyLIV. It’s also being shown on DD Sports for DD Free Dish users
- Broadcast in the US: Willow TV, available on cable, satellite, and digital platforms
Interestingly, despite the SSC recently having floodlights installed, this Test is not being played as a day-night fixture — it continues with the traditional 10 AM start under natural light.
What Happened in the 1st Test at Galle?
India got off to a strong start in the series. Batting first, they put up a commanding total of 462 in their first innings and bowled Sri Lanka out for 284, taking a big first-innings lead. Sri Lanka fought back in patches — a fighting century from Sonal Dinusha and a valuable 80 from Niroshan Dickwella helped them recover from early collapses — but it wasn’t enough. India added 193 in their second innings, leaving Sri Lanka to chase an imposing target of 372. The hosts were bowled out for 206, handing India a 165-run win and a 1-0 series lead heading into Colombo.
This continues India’s dominant recent record on Sri Lankan soil — they arrived on this tour on the back of five straight Test wins in the country and haven’t lost a series there since 2008.
Why Is Jasprit Bumrah Not Playing?
This has been one of the most searched questions around the series, and for good reason — Bumrah is India’s premier fast bowler. He was originally named in India’s 15-member squad for the tour, but he was later ruled out due to a left-knee injury that he had picked up during the ODI series against England and had not fully recovered from by the time the squad needed to be finalised. Uncapped pacer Auqib Nabi was drafted in as his direct replacement in the squad.
His absence has been a notable talking point, especially with India also missing a couple of other frontline names for parts of the tour, putting extra responsibility on the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to lead the pace attack.
India’s Squad for the Sri Lanka Tests
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced a 15-member squad that saw the return of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who had missed the earlier Afghanistan Test after recovering from a tennis elbow injury picked up during IPL 2026. The squad:
Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), 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
Two changes worth noting: Sai Sudharsan was later ruled out with a toe injury, which opened up a spot for Devdutt Padikkal — who had scored a century in the warm-up game — to bat at number three. And as mentioned, Auqib Nabi came in once Bumrah’s injury was confirmed.
Sri Lanka’s Squad
Sri Lanka’s Test side is captained by Dhananjaya de Silva, with Kamindu Mendis as his deputy. The squad named for the series includes: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Nishan Madushanka, Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Keshara Nuwantha, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka.
The hosts do have some fitness worries heading into the Colombo Test — reports suggest both Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal are out of contention for the 2nd Test, with Pathum Nissanka’s participation also looking unlikely.
Probable Playing XIs for the 2nd Test
India (Probable XI): Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and a choice between Kuldeep Yadav and Saransh Jain in the spin department.
There’s genuine debate over India’s spin combination for this match. India went in with three left-arm spin options in Galle, and while Manav Suthar impressed with the ball and Jadeja was effective too, there’s now talk that off-spinner Saransh Jain could replace Kuldeep Yadav to bring a different angle into the attack. Saransh also strengthens the batting depth — he has over 2,200 first-class runs at an average above 31, with two centuries and 14 half-centuries to his name, which makes him an appealing all-round option for a series-deciding Test.
Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Nishan Madushanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara — though this could shift depending on the final fitness calls on their senior batters.
Head-to-Head Record at Sinhalese Sports Club
India have a strong recent record at this venue. Looking back at the last few Tests played here between the two sides: India won by an innings and 239 runs in November 2017, followed by another innings-and-runs victory (222 runs) in March 2022, with a drawn Test sandwiched in between. This history adds to the sense that India go into the Colombo Test as favourites, though Sri Lanka will be desperate to level the series on home turf.
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Why This Test Matters
Beyond bragging rights, both teams have serious WTC business at stake. India currently sit fifth in the World Test Championship standings, with four wins, four losses, and one draw, giving them a points percentage of 48.15. To have a real shot at reaching the WTC final without relying on other results, India need to win the bulk of their remaining fixtures in this cycle — making every point in Colombo valuable. For Sri Lanka, a win would not only level the series but also give their WTC campaign a much-needed boost after a difficult run in the format recently.
Where is the Sri Lanka vs India 2nd Test being played? At the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo.
What is the date of the 2nd Test? August 23 to August 27, 2026.
What is the full schedule for India’s tour of Sri Lanka 2026? A practice match in Colombo (August 7–10), the 1st Test in Galle (August 15–19), and the 2nd Test at the SSC in Colombo (August 23–27).
Why is Bumrah not playing in the 2nd Test? He suffered a left-knee injury during the ODI series against England that hadn’t healed in time, and Auqib Nabi replaced him in the squad.
Who won the 1st Test? India won by 165 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Is this series part of the World Test Championship? Yes, both Tests count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle.
Who are the two captains? Shubman Gill leads India, with KL Rahul as vice-captain. Dhananjaya de Silva captains Sri Lanka, with Kamindu Mendis as his deputy.
What time do the matches start? Both Tests begin at 10:00 AM local time, which is the same as 10:00 AM IST.
