India eye clean sweep against desperate Sri Lanka
With a crucial 1-0 lead secured in Galle, India returns to action again as they will be locking horns with Sri Lanka for the second Test.
This clash will witness the caravan shift base to Colombo. India will be hopeful of enforcing a clean sweep against the Lankans as that would do a world of good for their WTC journey.
Currently in the fifth position with 52 points and a win percentage of 53.33, India will be hoping to make the most out of the series. Apart from their pursuits in the WTC cycle, they will also be looking to add another win to their journey away from home which will be a massive blessing for a side in transition.
Sri Lanka had intermittent displays of brilliance led by Sonal Dinusha with the bat while calculated discipline from the bowlers saw Sri Lanka savour their brief moments of joy. They will be desperate to force an upset and even share the spoils of the series but it will need a lot more than just hope in their hearts.
Venue Watch:
Colombo’s surface has always offered a balanced track with pacers having a slight nod ahead of the turners. The new ball will be moving around in the first 10-15 overs but once the lacquer comes off, batters will be able to dominate the game. Spinners will come into the act in the latter half of the day once the surface dries up. One can expect the side batting first to enjoy a good day out if they are able to navigate the early movements of the day.
Match details:
Match: Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test
Venue: SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo
Date: 23rd August, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM IST
Head-to-head:
Matches played: 47
India: 23
Sri Lanka: 7
Squads:
India:
Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.
Sri Lanka:
Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
