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Sri Lanka vs. India prediction, lineups, pitch report for 2nd test as Shubman Gill targets series win | Cricket News

Cricket News · Ajay Gandhar · 2026-08-21T15:02:02+00:00 · nguồn gốc

India head to the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo with the wind firmly behind them after they sealed the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs. Manav Suthar announced himself in style after his four-wicket burst with a career-best six for 55 that broke Sri Lanka's resistance on the final afternoon. Devdutt Padikkal also showed what he is capable of in his return to the side with a composed 167 in the first innings. His contribution has not gone unnoticed among a middle order that had looked short on runs coming into the series. Sri Lanka, for their part, showed flashes of fight through Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva, but their bowling has lacked the cutting edge to trouble India for long periods. Kirsten's young side now face the task of regrouping quickly, with home comforts offering little guarantee against a visiting attack that has hit its stride Sri Lanka vs. India Prediction: Who Will Win? Colombo pitch can shift its balance and of the test when it starts to wear on, and the numbers back that up. The average first innings score here is 323, rising to 354 in the second, before falling away sharply to just 182 by the fourth. That decline clearly shows a surface that starts placid and turns unforgiving, a pattern that tends to reward sides with control and patience in the back half of a match rather than raw pace or aggression. India's spin options look built for exactly that kind of finish and with the toss split evenly at this venue, 16 wins apiece batting first and bowling first, there is no clear advantage either way heading into day one. What matters more is how each side manages the middle overs of the match, where scoring has traditionally held up before the sharp tail-off begins. Sri Lanka's batting will need to front-load its runs rather than lean on a chase, given the lowest total ever defended here is just 164. India's greater depth and recent momentum should count for more once the pitch starts to break up. Cricket News prediction: India to win Sri Lanka vs. India: Team news and predicted XIs Here's how both sides are likely to line up in this game. There is debate over India's spin combination for the match, with opinion split as to whether Kuldeep Yadav deserves another chance or uncapped Saransh Jain deserves a go. Sri Lanka predicted line up against India Nishan Madushka Fernando, Lahiru Udara Igalagamage, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando India predicted lineup to play Sri Lanka Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj MORE: All the latest news from world cricket Sri Lanka vs. India pitch report: SSC cricket ground Colombo The cricket ground in Colombo is a balanced pitch for both bat and ball. Total Matches | 46 | Matches won batting first | 16 | Matches won bowling first | 16 | Average 1st innings score | 323 | Average 2nd innings score | 354 | Average 3rd innings score | 273 | Average 4th innings score | 182 | Highest total recorded | 756/5 (185.1 Ovs) by SL vs RSA | Lowest total recorded | 81/10 (28.1 Ovs) by SL vs ENG | Highest score chased | 326/5 (113.5 Ovs) by SL vs ZIM | Lowest score defended | 164/10 (51.1 Ovs) by SL vs AUS | Who do you think will win this match? For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.