India’s three-day tour match against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI began at the Nondescripts Cricket Club ground in Colombo on Friday, with the home side winning the toss and choosing to bat.

The fixture runs from August 7 to 9 and is India’s only match before the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle on August 15, making it the tourists’ single opportunity to face match conditions on the island.

The teams

Sonal Dinusha captains the Sri Lanka Cricket XI, a bowling all-rounder who has played one Test. The side includes wicketkeeper-batter Nishan Fernando, top-order batters Ravindu Rasantha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Pavan Rathnayake, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Anjala Bandara, Nipun Dhananjaya, off-spinning all-rounder Ramesh Mendis, Keshara Nuwantha and Isitha Wijesundara, who made his Test debut against the West Indies in July.

KL Rahul leads India in the tour match, with Test captain Shubman Gill playing as a top-order batter. The XI also features Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and Mohammed Siraj.

Weather the main threat

Rain is forecast across all three days. The Economic Times reported a 90% chance of rain in Colombo on Friday morning with around 9.4 mm expected, cloud cover near 99%, visibility dropping to about 5 km, and a 70% chance of further rain in the afternoon.

That is consistent with the Department of Meteorology’s forecast for Friday, which put showers or thundershowers across the Western province, where Colombo sits, as the southwest monsoon continues.

Interruptions would cut into preparation India can ill afford to lose. Sri Lankan pitches typically favour spin, an area that has troubled India’s batting in recent Test assignments, and the warm-up was already shortened from four days to three before the tour began.

The two-Test series forms part of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle, with the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23.

Update: India win by six wickets

India chased down 207 to win the match by six wickets on Sunday (9), the final day, with Shubman Gill returning after missing the first two days with a finger injury picked up in training.

Sri Lanka Cricket XI batted first and declared on 363 for 8. Ravindu Rasantha made 71 from 143 balls with six fours and a six, Nishan Fernando 66 from 65 with 11 fours and a six, and captain Sonal Dinusha 52 from 72. Manav Suthar took 2 for 33, Ravindra Jadeja 2 for 64 and Kuldeep Yadav 2 for 76. Auqib Nabi, drafted in as the injury replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, did not bowl. Debutant Saransh Jain returned 0 for 54.

India replied with 357 for 6 declared, six runs behind. Devdutt Padikkal finished unbeaten on 142 from 164 balls with 18 fours, having put on 96 with KL Rahul, 74 with Jadeja and 82 with Suthar. Jadeja made 63 before retiring hurt; Suthar contributed 41. Asanka Manoj took 2 for 32 and Ramesh Mendis 2 for 77.

The home side declared their second innings on 200 for 6, Fernando making 63 and Nipun Dhananjaya 46. Jadeja took 2 for 33 and Gurnoor Brar 2 for 37.

Chasing 207, India reached 214 for 4 in 45 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal struck 61 from 46 balls before retiring hurt, sharing 105 with Gill, who made 44 from 54 on his return. Mohammed Siraj finished unbeaten on 32 from 15 balls with four sixes.

What it settles before Galle

The result gives India a win in their only outing before the first Test, though the more useful outcome is time in the middle. Padikkal’s unbeaten 142 came as he moved into the position vacated by Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out of the series with a stress fracture during the match. Gill’s 54 balls were his only preparation after the finger injury.

The first Test begins at Galle on August 15.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo, Economic Times, Ada Derana, ESPNcricinfo scorecard.