# India begin two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday 2026-08-14T07:51:56+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets India will play their first Test of 2026 against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium starting Saturday, August 15, at 10 AM IST. The two-match series is a crucial one for India, who suffered home whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa last year, hurting their World Test Championship campaign. India have played only one Test this year, a win over Afghanistan in June that ended inside two and a half days. The Times of India reports that India’s Test record has become a concern despite Gautam Gambhir’s success in white-ball cricket, which includes the 2025 Champions Trophy, the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. Shubman Gill will lead India, with KL Rahul as vice-captain. The squad includes Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant. Sri Lanka are captained by Dhananjaya De Silva. The series will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV. ## Coverage - indiatvnews.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: cricket selection, Devdutt Padikkal, India vs Sri Lanka, Test series Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/padikkal-under-scrutiny-ahead-of-india-sri-lanka-test-series/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/padikkal-under-scrutiny-ahead-of-india-sri-lanka-test-series/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.