Around them, the Galle International Stadium was being spruced up while broadcast crews busily set up their equipment on Thursday (August 13, 2026). 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.
What is driving the story
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.
What It Means
The focus in catching emphasised being ambidextrous, as fielders were encouraged to make one-handed catches with either hand. Reactions to the ricochet effect when a ball deflects off the stumps were also sharpened, as fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh maintained intensity. Among the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna led the seamers, while Kuldeep Yadav turned his arm over in the spinners’ corner. Perhaps in their effort to gain that extra yard of pace, some of India’s speedsters overstepped in their final delivery stride. Hopefully this aberration will not be repeated against the Sri Lankans.