Sri Lanka vs. India prediction, lineups and betting tips for 1st test as Shubman Gill's side face spin test

Sri Lanka vs. India prediction, lineups and betting tips for 1st test as Shubman Gill's side face spin test originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

India will begin their two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday. This tour match will be a tour that could become a defining moment for a squad in transition.

With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane all gone, and Jasprit Bumrah missing through injury, the responsibility falls heavily on Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal to anchor a batting unit still finding its feet against quality spin.

India's recent home record against turning tracks, including series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, adds further scrutiny to this trip.

Sri Lanka, under Dhananjaya de Silva and mentored by former India coach Gary Kirsten, will lean on left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and a batting order eager to make home advantage count from the opening morning at Galle.

Sri Lanka vs. India Prediction: Who Will Win?

India go into this one with more all-round quality.

Their batting was the story of the warm-up fixture, with several players finding form against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI.

The bowling also have the penetration but Sri Lanka at home always have been a perennial threat. Prabath Jayasuriya remains their one genuine point of difference, a bowler with the record and the guile to trouble any batting line-up on a wearing surface.

If Sri Lanka are to make this a contest, it will likely need another big performance from Jayasuriya alongside support from a middle order that has too often gone missing against spin of real quality.

Cricket News Prediction: India to win

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Sri Lanka vs. India: Team news and predicted XIs

Here's how both sides are likely to line up in this game:

Sri Lanka predicted line up against India

Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva (C), Kamindu Mendis (VC), Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Keshara Nuwantha

India predicted lineup to play Sri Lanka

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj

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Sri Lanka vs. India pitch report: Galle International cricket stadium, Galle

This Galle pitch could well be the slowest pitch we have seen in the recent fixtures.

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