Sri Lanka Cricket XI's batters made India's bowlers toil as they piled up 363/8 on Day 1 of the Warm-up match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.
India retained a firm grip on the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, despite Sonal Dinusha's unbeaten 85, with the hosts still facing the prospect of a follow-on after rain and bad light ended play early on day three.
Dhruv Jurel notched up an unbeaten 115 to propel India to a commanding 509 for 8 before they declared the first innings against Sri Lanka on day two of the second Test in Colombo.
India secured a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, improving their World Test Championship points percentage. However, despite the win, their path to the WTC final has become significantly more challenging, requiring them to win almost all their remaining matches due to a tightly packed table and other teams' results.
The BCCI is arranging short-term county cricket contracts for talented Indian pacers like Auqib Nabi to prepare them for future international tours, specifically eyeing India's Test series in New Zealand. This initiative aims to provide red-ball experience and exposure to different conditions.
Rishabh Pant loses India Test vice-captaincy and is dropped from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series, while K L Rahul returns as deputy and young players earn maiden call-ups.
India is on the verge of a comprehensive series-sweeping victory against Sri Lanka in the second and final Test, despite a defiant 115-run partnership between Pasindu Sooriyabandara (92) and Kamindu Mendis (55) in Sri Lanka's follow-on innings.
Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha scored an unbeaten 133, his second century of the match, to help the hosts salvage a draw against India in the second Test, denying them a series sweep.
India have held a significant stranglehold on the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at lunch on Day 4 in Colombo on Wednesday.
India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka is expected to be announced next week, with fitness concerns surrounding pace leader Jasprit Bumrah.
India captain Shubman Gill on Friday spent considerable time fine-tuning his game against that variation at the team's training session ahead of the upcoming second Test against Sri Lanka, in Colombo.
India set Sri Lanka a daunting target of 372 before reducing the hosts to 84-4 on day four of the opening Test in Galle on Tuesday, remaining firmly on course for victory.
India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule confirmed that Kuldeep Yadav's absence from bowling in the second innings of the warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI was a precautionary measure to assess his body after a significant workload, allaying fitness concerns.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc dethroned Jasprit Bumrah to reach a career-high No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers, after a stellar 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh.
Shubman Gill hailed Sri Lanka's gritty resistance after Sonal Dinusha's second century forced India to settle for a draw in the second Test.
India finished Day 2 on 460/9 after rain restricted play to just two sessions in the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Sunday.
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak lauded the team's productive warm-up victory against Sri Lanka, highlighting strong performances from both batters and bowlers, including Shubman Gill's quick 44 and Devdutt Padikkal's unbeaten 142, which set a positive tone for the upcoming two-match Test series.
Devdutt Padikkal hit an unbeaten 142 as India recovered from an early setback to reach 357/6 against Sri Lanka XI in Colombo.
Uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain has been named as the replacement for the injured Washington Sundar in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, while the availability of key players Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan hinges on their fitness clearance.
Prasidh Krishna was rewarded for his relentless effort in India's Sri Lanka Test series win, taking seven wickets and earning the Impact Player of the Series medal.
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes rookie pacer Gurnoor Brar could be the 'X-Factor' for India in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah during the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, suggesting he would be tempted to hand the 26-year-old his debut.
Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain, 33, has been named in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka, replacing the injured Washington Sundar, marking a surprise call-up after impressive all-round performances for India A.
Dhruv Jurel's unbeaten 115, supported by Rishabh Pant's fifty, helped India declare at a commanding 503-9 on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka. India then took two quick wickets, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 8-2, still 495 runs behind, before rain and bad light stopped play.
Former India leg-spinner L Sivaramakrishnan believes that advising Kuldeep Yadav to bowl faster in Test cricket is 'the worst piece of advice' he could receive, advocating instead for focus on alignment and natural speeds to maximise spin.
India put themselves course for a big win in the series opener after reducing Sri Lanka to 84/4 at stumps on day four of the first Test in Galle on Tuesday.
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has stressed the importance of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav reinventing his game to stay competitive amidst burgeoning talent. Despite decent overall numbers, Kuldeep's recent lean patch in the IPL and a solitary Test match has led to him losing his spot in the T20I squad for upcoming tours, prompting the coach's call for evolution.
As India prepares for their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 15, the team management faces critical decisions regarding their playing XI to bolster their World Test Championship 2027 final aspirations.
India completed their 600th Test with a 165-run win over Sri Lanka. Here's how India evolved from early struggles into a modern Test cricket powerhouse.
Ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka, the Indian cricket team underwent an intense net session in Colombo.
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif criticised captain Shubman Gill for not giving spinner Kuldeep Yadav enough longer spells during the first Test against Sri Lanka, suggesting a lack of faith.
Indian batter Dhruv Jurel scored an unbeaten 115, becoming only the second Indian to hit a Test century at No. 7 or lower in Sri Lanka. His crucial partnerships, including a 112-run stand with Rishabh Pant, helped India declare at 503/9, putting them in a strong position against Sri Lanka in the second Test.
Sonal Dinusha scored a brilliant century while the tail wagged around him as Sri Lanka earned a draw on the final day of the second Test in Colombo on Thursday but India claim the series 1-0.
India A left-arm spinner Manav Suthar picked up three wickets to leave Australia A reeling, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
India have never looked so vulnerable in Test cricket in recent times. They need a complete reset of their approach to Test cricket, and perhaps a new coach with fresh ideas could revitalise Shubman Gill and his boys.
National selectors are set to convene in New Delhi to finalise India's ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming home series against West Indies, with Rishabh Pant's potential white-ball return and Hardik Pandya's fitness being the primary discussion points.
Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi earned his maiden call-up to the Indian team after he was named as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for the upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.
Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan was named as the replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, the BCCI announced on Sunday.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir's standing in red-ball cricket faces a crucial test as the team embarks on a two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Team India has brought in four young Indian spinners - Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian, and Vipraj Nigam - to assist in net practice ahead of their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, despite already having four spinners in their main squad.
India registered their biggest-ever innings win in Test cricket, dominating Afghanistan in the one-off game, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar impressing with a seven-wicket match haul.
