Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hails Team India after win in warm-up match

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Team India secured a win by six wickets in the warm-up Test match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.

Following the victory, Team India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was very impressed with the side’s performance. He stated that it was a very productive outing for the visitors ahead of the two-match series.

“I think it was very good, very productive because if we practice four more days, I don’t think it will be as good as the practice match because bowlers bowled with good intensity. I think batters batted well and we actually tried that everyone, even bowlers, get to bat and all the bowlers get enough loading what is required,” he said in a video post by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on its official social media handle.

He reserved special praise for Devdutt Padikkal, who played a glorious knock of 142 runs off 164 deliveries. His knock was laced with 18 boundaries.

“It’s been very good. I would say Gurnoor and Siraj hitting sixes, three to four-four sixes. I think Devdutt batted really well, the way Gurnoor also bowled, and our fast bowlers put a lot of effort on the wicket where there was nothing. All the pacers put a lot of effort. I think it was all in all a very good practice match. But for me, Devdutt’s innings was also really good,” he said.

After securing a win in the warm-up match, the visitors will gear up to lock horns with Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series, beginning from August 15. The first match will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium near Galle Fort.

Ahead of the match, Madhya Pradesh’s veteran off-spinner Saransh Jain has received a maiden call-up. He has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. According to several media reports, Jain was in contention for the series due to Washington Sundar’s unavailability for the first Test match. Sundar is busy with his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

Also, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will mark his comeback after recovering from a tennis elbow injury during the concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Team India has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Jasprit Bumrah‘s replacement. The side is also grappling with multiple injury concerns ahead of the series, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.

India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka

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.

(With ANI Inputs)

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