Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test Preview & Tips – Gill to lead from the front as India hand Sri Lanka defeat in first Test

India surged to a big innings and 300-run win over Afghanistan in their last Test as they brought an end to a two-game losing run in the Test format.

India are unbeaten in their last 10 Test matches against Sri Lanka, winning eight and drawing two times. Their last two meetings have ended in wins by an innings and 222 runs and 238 runs.

Sri Lanka struggled against the West Indies in their last Test series as they were beaten once and battled to a draw in their other meeting.

In that series, Sri Lanka were humbled in a big defeat in game one as their scores of 308 and 101 proved no match for the Windies, who stormed to 626/9 declared. They were better with the bat in game two, but scores of 549/9 declared and 251/9 declared ultimately took too long to build as the Windies were able to secure a draw following scores of 499 and 109 without loss. While Test cricket is all about building scores, Sri Lanka’s inability to force the result cost them.

With a clash against India to come, I believe Sri Lanka are in trouble. The travelling side arrive with Shubman Gill leading them with the bat and Mohammed Siraj with the ball. Any weakness in this Sri Lanka side will be homed in on by a very good touring side, and I predict that a 10-game winless run in Tests against India will go on.

India have been curiously inconsistent in the Test format, with their last 10 outings resulting in five wins, four defeats and one draw.

While still arguably the best side in the men’s game, India have not quite been at their unbeatable best. Their innings and 300-run win over Afghanistan brought a two-game losing run against South Africa to an end, but this was a game they were never likely to lose.

Against Afghanistan, Shubman Gill played a stunning innings as he scored 126 with India declaring on 564. This always looked like it would be too much for Afghanistan to chase, and so it proved as they were bowled out for 152 and 112. India will hope that this is the shot in the arm they needed to go on an extended run of wins in the Test format.

While travelling to play Sri Lanka is rarely a simple task, the difference in quality between the sides should see India win. Gill is averaging 126.00 in Tests in 2026 and looks to have taken the captaincy in stride with his insatiable run scoring. I back Gill to star in the first Test as India go 1-0 up in the series.