India’s vice captain KL Rahul, back right, Devdutt Padikkal, left, Rishabh Pant, back second right, Prasidh Krishna, front right, and others during a practice session ahead of the first test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Galle, on August 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
At a picture-postcard venue, India preferred to sweat it out. Shubman Gill’s men buckled down at the nets, focusing on their training in the lead-up to the first Test, which is set to commence in Galle over the weekend. Around them, the Galle International Stadium was being spruced up while broadcast crews busily set up their equipment on Thursday (August 13, 2026).The odd sorties with a football and fielding drills were the preferred initial exercises. The think tank of coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Gill and chief selector Ajit Agarkar looked at the pitch, which was a dull shade of brown in contrast to the lush green outfield.
India’s KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal during a training session ahead of the first test match against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium, in Galle, Sri Lanka, on August 13, 2026.
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