India decided to bat after winning the toss in the opening Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday. Both sides are completely aware that the series could have a major impact on their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Things are pretty tight in terms of the race for the WTC final, and neither team can afford to lose a match. A 2-0 series victory would majorly strengthen their position and give a much-needed boost to their campaign. India enter the Test sitting fifth in the current WTC standings. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, also face a similar situation. This is also a landmark moment in India’s Test cricket history, as it is India's 600th Test, making it incredibly noteworthy.
India playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Sri Lanka playing XI: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando