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An historic occasion awaits Indian cricket as the 1st Test of the two-match series between hosts Sri Lanka and India will be played starting 15th August at Galle. This will be only the second occasion when India will be playing a Test match on India's Independence Day.

 

The two-match series forms a crucial part of the 2025-27 WTC cycle and teams want to gather as many points as they can from the beginning of the cycle.

 

India's Second-Ever Test Starting on August 15

 

The last time India played a Test on Independence Day was 12 years back, when India toured England in 2014. The test was played at the Oval on August 15, when MS Dhoni was the captain of India.

 

However, it proved to be one of the most humiliating defeats in Indian overseas Test cricket. India were bowled out for 148 in the opening innings against England's 486. The visitors then crumbled to 94 in the second innings and lost by an innings and 244 runs.

 

This year India will look to create happier memories when they walk onto the field in Galle on this day.

 

Also Read | India Ready To Welcome Back Ravindra Jadeja For Sri Lanka Tests, Pace Unit Locked In

 

India to Prepare With Warm-Up Match

 

Prior to the Test series starting, Team India are likely to land in Sri Lanka at the beginning of August to acclimatise to the tougher conditions.

 

They are to play a four-day warm-up against the Sri Lanka 'A' team in Colombo from August 7, which will provide the visitors time to acclimatise to the conditions before heading down to Galle for the first Test.

 

The Galle pitches historically have done well for spinners, and India boasts a very strong spin attack. The Indian batting unit will have to endure the heat from Sri Lanka's slow bowlers on the turning tracks as well.

 

WTC Points at Stake in Sri Lanka Series

 

In addition to the historical importance of his opening day, the series is additionally significant as it is part of the World Test Championship.

 

Having Shubman Gill at the helm of India's Test team, they'll be eager to start on the right foot in the WTC cycle and not let 15 August 2014's moment to repeat.

 

A win in Galle would not only give India an edge early in the series but also wipe away memories of the heavy defeats they received in England in 2014. As the countdown to August 15 begins, Team India would be hoping for this rare Independence Day Test to be a memorable one for all the right reasons.