Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the schedule for India’s upcoming two-Test series in August as part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
The opening Test will be held at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from Aug 15 to 19, followed by the second Test at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) from Aug 23 to 27. Both matches are set to begin at 10:00 am IST.
The series carries significant importance for both sides in the WTC race, as India currently occupy fifth place in the standings, with Sri Lanka close behind in sixth. Having already finished runners-up twice in the WTC without securing the title, India have only a slim chance, estimated at around 5-10 per cent, of qualifying for next year’s final, making every remaining Test crucial.
India’s new era under captain Shubman Gill started on a promising note. The team battled to a 2-2 drawn series in England before registering a home Test series win over the West Indies.
However, those encouraging results were overshadowed by a surprising home whitewash against South Africa last year, highlighting long-standing concerns over India’s ability to counter high-quality spin bowling while also exposing a decline in the dominance of their own spin attack.
Those concerns extend beyond the longest format. India’s struggles against spin have increasingly surfaced across formats, with flat IPL pitches and limited preparation time for Test cricket often cited as main factors.
The upcoming challenge in Sri Lanka is expected to test those weaknesses once again, as the hosts are likely to rely heavily on their spin attack on traditionally turning surfaces.
India will return to Sri Lanka for a Test series for the first time since 2017, when they produced a dominant display to complete a 3-0 clean sweep.