India Win Toss and Name XI for ICC WTC Second Test Against Sri Lanka in Colombo

India and Sri Lanka opened the second and final Test of their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first on a surface expected to reward patience, with both sides confirming reshuffled XIs as India pursued a 2-0 sweep and Sri Lanka sought to level the series.

The fixture follows India’s 165-run victory in the opening Test at Galle (August 15–19), a result built on Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 and Manav Suthar’s 10-wicket haul in India’s landmark 600th Test. A win in Colombo would strengthen India’s WTC standing; Sri Lanka, meanwhile, arrived with two debutants and without concussed veteran Dinesh Chandimal.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match reporting from AP, ESPNcricinfo, Sportstar (The Hindu), and India Today, August 23, 2026.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	India tour of Sri Lanka 2026 — 2nd Test (WTC cycle)
Date	Sunday, August 23, 2026
Start time	10:00 AM IST
Venue	Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
Toss	India won; elected to bat first
Series score	India lead 1-0 after Galle

India’s playing XI

Gill confirmed one change from Galle: off-spinning all-rounder Saransh Jain replaced Kuldeep Yadav, who was ruled out with an infection. Dhruv Jurel retained his place at No. 6, keeping Sarfaraz Khan on the bench.

India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Jain received his cap from Jadeja before play — a late call-up after Washington Sundar’s tour-ending injury — while Suthar and Jadeja again head a spin attack tailored for a venue where finger spinners have taken 45 wickets in the last three Tests, 10 more than the pacers.

Sri Lanka’s playing XI

Sri Lanka made two changes and handed debuts to opener Kamil Mishara and No. 3 Pasindu Sooriyabandara. Mishara replaced Nishan Madushka as captain Dhananjaya de Silva sought a left-right opening combination. Sooriyabandara, who had entered as a concussion substitute for Chandimal in Galle, was elevated to a full debut after Chandimal was ruled out with the after-effects of that head injury.

Sri Lanka XI: Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshar Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

Sonal Dinusha, who scored 184 runs across both Galle innings, remains the hosts’ most in-form batter. Sri Lanka’s middle order will again lean on Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis to counter India’s spin-heavy attack.

Why the toss mattered at SSC

The SSC has hosted 46 Tests — the second-most in Asia after Galle — and traditionally produces flat first-innings surfaces where batting first can yield large totals. Historical data at the ground shows an average first-innings score of roughly 323, with teams batting first and bowling first each winning 16 of those matches.

Gill’s decision to bat echoed his Galle call and reflected India’s confidence after posting 462 in the series opener. Spin is expected to grow more influential as the match wears on, and India’s three-pronged spin option — Jadeja, Suthar, and debutant Jain — is built for that late-game shift.

Weather could also shape the contest. Forecasts pointed to heat, humidity, and a chance of rain across all five days, factors that may test endurance and interrupt play on a ground surrounded by Colombo’s modern skyline but still defined by grass banks and a manual scoreboard.

Series and WTC context

India’s Galle win delivered 12 WTC points, lifting their percentage to 53.33% and keeping them in the hunt for the 2027 WTC final — their fifth win in 10 Tests in the current cycle. They remained fifth in the standings behind Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, but a series sweep would add further momentum to a young side transitioning after difficult tours of Australia and England earlier in 2026.

For Sri Lanka, the Colombo Test is a chance to salvage pride on home soil. After Suthar dismantled their lower order on day five in Galle — four wickets in 10 balls to finish with 6/55 in the second innings — the hosts need sharper top-order contributions and more disciplined middle-overs batting to stay competitive across five days.

Key matchups to watch

Area	What to watch
India’s top order	Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal both had modest returns in Galle; a big first-innings total likely starts with them
Sri Lanka’s debuts	Mishara and Sooriyabandara face a stern opening assignment against Siraj and Prasidh Krishna
Spin vs. Dinusha	Dinusha showed fight in Galle; how he handles Jadeja, Suthar, and Jain could set the tone for Sri Lanka’s innings
Jurel at No. 6	Retaining Jurel over Sarfaraz Khan signals India’s faith in his lower-order batting and glovework behind Pant

What comes next

The Colombo Test runs through August 27, with the series result — and additional WTC points — decided over five days. India need only a draw to clinch the series, but Gill’s bat-first call and unchanged core from Galle suggest the visitors are targeting a commanding first-innings platform rather than playing for stalemate.

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Discussion

The SSC fixture is less about a single debut than about whether India can convert Galle dominance into a series-clinching performance on a different kind of pitch.

1. Gill chose to bat first at a venue where teams have historically split evenly between batting and bowling first. Was that the right call for India’s spin-heavy attack — or a sign they want to bury Sri Lanka under a first-innings mountain?

India’s Galle template relied on a big lead and relentless spin; Colombo’s flatter surface may demand even more runs up front.

2. Sri Lanka handed debuts to Mishara and Sooriyabandara while missing Chandimal. Can a reshaped top three stand up to Siraj, Krishna, and three spinners across five days?

Dinusha’s Galle hundreds showed the hosts have fight, but the new openers face a steep introduction at Test level.

Share your read on whether India’s WTC campaign needed this Colombo assignment — and if Sri Lanka’s changes are enough to level a series already tilted toward the visitors.

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