Senior Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is available for selection ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka after recovering from a tennis elbow injury, as per Cricinfo. The national selection committee is expected to finalize India's squad on Monday, with Jadeja back in contention after missing action since IPL 2026.
India will begin the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on August 15 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium before the second Test at the SSC in Colombo on August 23. The series is crucial for both teams, with India currently fifth and Sri Lanka sixth in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings.
India Eye Crucial World Test Championship Points in Sri Lanka
India will begin their Sri Lanka tour looking to revive their World Test Championship campaign after a 2-0 home series defeat to South Africa in November. Before that setback, Shubman Gill's side drew the five-Test series in England 2-2 and defeated the West Indies 2-0 at home.
The two-match Test series is India's first WTC assignment since the South Africa defeat. With only nine Tests remaining in the current cycle, every match has become crucial as India push for a place in a third World Test Championship final.
The team will arrive in Sri Lanka early and play a four-day warm-up match at the NCC Ground in Colombo before the opening Test. Notably, the extra preparation is expected to help the players adjust to the spin-friendly conditions in Galle and Colombo.
Ravindra Jadeja Available for Sri Lanka Tests
Ravindra Jadeja's return is a major boost, but the selectors are still waiting on the fitness of a few key players before finalizing the squad. Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be available despite the knee injury that ruled him out of the final ODI against England as a precaution.
Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana suffered hamstring injuries, while Nitish Kumar Reddy is unlikely to recover in time from a quadriceps injury. Washington could still be added to the squad later if he is declared fit for the second Test.
The selectors are also considering Saransh Jain after his impressive performances for India A in Sri Lanka. The off-spinning all-rounder claimed six wickets and scored an unbeaten 70 in Galle, while left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey remains in contention if another spin option is required.
India Likely to Retain Established Test Core
India are expected to stick with their settled batting lineup. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are likely to continue as the opening pair, while Sai Sudharsan is expected to keep his place at No. 3 after impressing for India A.
Captain Shubman Gill is set to bat at No. 4, with Rishabh Pant continuing as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Dhruv Jurel is expected to travel as the reserve wicketkeeper, while Devdutt Padikkal remains in contention as an additional batting option.
If fit, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack alongside Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Gurnoor Brar has strengthened his case after taking 10 wickets for India A against Sri Lanka A, while Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Manav Suthar, and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to form the core of India's spin attack.
