Before the start of the series against Sri Lanka, the Indian squad concluded its only practice match with a victory. In the three-day contest at the Non-Descript Cricket Club (NCC) in Colombo, India defeated the Sri Lankan side by a margin of six wickets.
Captain Shubman Gill returned to play after an injury and scored 44 runs in the second innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal played by scoring 61 runs, and Mohammed Siraj helped seal the game with powerful bowling at the end.
The most significant event for the Indian team was the return of Shubman Gill to the field. He could not participate in the first two days because a ball hit his little finger on his right hand. This raised concerns about his ability to feature in the first Test match, scheduled to begin on August 15th. On the third day, Gill initially trained extensively on the reserve pitch before coming out to bat and playing 54 balls, during which he hit seven fours. He experienced no discomfort during the game.
The management used the second innings to work on skills for players who had not scored enough runs in the first innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal took advantage of this opportunity and played a fifty, after which he left with an injury. Rishabh Pant came in for him. Pant, known for his aggressive style of play, demonstrated great patience initially. He failed to score any runs in the first 21 balls but hit a six on the 22nd ball, showing his intent. For Pant, who scored only two runs in the first innings, it was important to gain time as his role at number five will be crucial in the Test series.
Dhruv Jurel also got a chance to play but again could not score many runs. Nevertheless, his performance last month was outstanding while captaining the India-A side against Sri Lanka-A. In that tour, he scored one century and one half-century. After Sai Sudarshan withdrew from the Test series, a spot opened up in the Indian batting order, and Jurel remains on the team's list of options as a batting specialist.
The final day provided a good opportunity for the Indian fast bowlers to prepare. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Guruonara Bar bowled at full pace. Akib Nabi, who had not bowled a single over in the first innings, also delivered the ball. In the spin department, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Sutaar, and Saransha Jane bowled overs. However, Kuldeep Yadav's absence was somewhat unexpected, given that he bowled 18 overs in the first innings and took two wickets.
In the concluding part of the match, Mohammed Siraj entertained the spectators. The fast bowler Mohammed Siraj hit four sixes and helped the Indian team reach the target. Ultimately, the Indian team won the match in the last over. More important than the result in this three-day practice match was giving the players time in Sri Lanka. Devdutt Padikkal scored a century in the first innings, Ravindra Jadeja trained with both bat and ball, the fast bowlers received sufficient overs, and the major concern regarding Shubman Gill's fitness was alleviated on the final day. The atmosphere at NCC was very relaxed, and selected spectators had the opportunity to see the Indian players up close.
