On Tuesday, the BCCI revealed India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on August 15. Shubman Gill will lead the team as captain, with KL Rahul stepping in as vice-captain. Ravindra Jadeja makes his return after missing the Test against Afghanistan, while Saransh Jain is set to make his Test debut. Jasprit Bumrah and top-order batter B Sai Sudharsan have also been included, but they'll only join the squad once they clear fitness tests at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. The 15-member team largely keeps the core group intact as India gears up for this crucial away series in Sri Lanka.

Washington Sundar won't be available for the first Test due to an injury he picked up during the white-ball tour of England earlier this month. His absence has paved the way for Saransh Jain, who has been selected as the specialist off-spinner. The selectors also continued to monitor the fitness of Bumrah and Sudharsan and are not expected to take any risks with either player before the series begins.

India Focus on Spin Strength Ahead of Two-Test Series in Sri Lanka

The BCCI also confirmed that the Gill-led side will play a four-day practice match in Colombo from August 7 before the Test series gets underway. The opening Test will be played in Galle from August 15 to 19, while the second and final Test is scheduled at the SSC in Colombo from August 23 to 27. The warm-up game is expected to help the squad adjust to local conditions before the series starts.

Traditionally, Sri Lankan pitches favor spinners, and the Galle pitch has proved to provide considerable help to spinners as the game progresses. Kuldeep Yadav is expected to lead India's spin attack with the assistance of Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar, where Suthar is set to make his debut in Tests after he made quite an impression during his Test debut against Afghanistan. Saransh Jain rounds off the spinning options for India after earning his maiden call-up in Tests due to his performances that include picking up six wickets and scoring an unbeaten 70 for India A against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar will form part of the pace bowling attack with Mohammed Siraj leading the pack. However, if Bumrah is not available, Brar might make his debut in Tests after his incredible performances of 10 wickets for 145 runs in the second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Galle.

The upcoming series will be quite crucial for India in terms of points as India is at 5th position in World Test Championship rankings. Therefore, they need to do well in this series in order to recoup some points.