India’s team combination for the opening Test against Sri Lanka has already become a major talking point ahead of the two-match ICC World Test Championship series.
With spin expected to dominate the conditions in Galle, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the visitors should go with a spin-heavy attack and has also shared his preferred playing XI.
The first Test between India and Sri Lanka will begin on August 15 in Galle, where spin has traditionally played a huge role. Ashwin feels India have enough quality spin options to field three specialist spinners without weakening the batting line-up.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav should all feature in India’s playing XI for the opening Test.
According to him, Saransh Jain should bat at No. 7, allowing India to strengthen both the batting and spin departments while keeping room for two fast bowlers.
‘Jadeja will definitely play. Manav Suthar took seven wickets in the last game – he’ll play. And Kuldeep Yadav should also play. That makes three spinners. I think they should go with Saransh Jain at No. 7, which leaves – No. 5 Rishabh Pant, No. 4 Shubman Gill, No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul. That leaves two fast-bowler spots.’
India have welcomed back Ravindra Jadeja after he recovered from the tennis elbow injury that kept him out since the IPL earlier this year. Manav Suthar has retained his place after an impressive performance in his previous outing, while Kuldeep Yadav adds another attacking spin option for conditions expected to assist slow bowlers.
Ashwin also spoke about Sai Sudharsan’s fitness and said the young batter could play an important role if he is available for the first Test.
Sudharsan impressed during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka, where he adapted quickly to local conditions and scored a century in Galle. Ashwin believes that experience could prove valuable for the senior team.
‘First, I think India’s biggest loss here could be Sai Sudharsan’s fitness because he scored two centuries recently in the India ‘A’ series – one of them was at Galle, which has unique conditions. The wind, how the ball turns, the angles – it takes time to learn all that. But he made a hundred there. If he stays fit, it could be an advantage for India. His confidence will be high. And Sri Lanka always depend on spin – Sai Sudharsan is a good player of spin. So he could be useful. I hope he’s fit, and it shouldn’t be a setback.’
The 23-year-old is currently recovering from a minor niggle, and the team management will assess his fitness before finalising the playing XI.
While Ashwin wants Sudharsan to play if fit, he also praised Devdutt Padikkal and believes the left-hander would be a quality replacement if required.
Padikkal has consistently performed in domestic cricket and remains one of India’s strongest batting options in the squad.
‘Devdutt Padikkal getting a chance in his place is not a bad thing. He has been a brilliant performer in domestic cricket. But I’d prefer Sudharsan to take his form into Test cricket.’
India will begin their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on August 15 in Galle as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
With spin expected to play a decisive role throughout the series, the team management now faces an important selection decision as it looks to strike the right balance between batting depth and a potent bowling attack.