'He is very much ready...': Sairaj Bahutule on Shubman Gill ahead of …

Team India secured a win by six wickets in the warm-up Test match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo. asg-reflektory.pl

During the match, Team India's skipper Shubman Gill missed out on the first two days of the clash as he sustained a hit on his finger during the training session.

Later, he took the field on the final day of the three-day warm-up game and scored 44 runs in 54 balls, including seven boundaries.

On his return, Team India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said that the rest was just a precaution and the right-handed batsman is very much ready for the Test match.

"It was just a precaution more than anything else. And he has been absolutely fine. He has been doing his training. And the management decided that we could just take that precaution of not putting him into that first day (of the practice match). And I think everything, the way he batted in the second inning, was again flawless. He is very much ready for the Test match," he said as quoted by Cricinfo.

After securing a win in the warm-up match, the visitors will gear up to lock horns with Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series, beginning from August 15. The first match will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium near Galle Fort.

Ahead of the match, Madhya Pradesh's veteran off-spinner Saransh Jain has received a maiden call-up. He has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. According to several media reports, Jain was in contention for the series due to Washington Sundar’s unavailability for the first Test match. Sundar is busy with his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

Also, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will mark his comeback after recovering from a tennis elbow injury during the concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Team India has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement. The side is also grappling with multiple injury concerns ahead of the series, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.

India's updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka

Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.

(With ANI Inputs)

Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar is confident that batter Sarfaraz Khan will make the most of his opportunity after the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee picked him to replace the injured Sai Sudharsan for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning at Galle on August 15.

Sarfaraz, 28, has represented the country in six Tests, scoring 371 runs so far, including one century and three half-tons. He played his last Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024.

“Sarfaraz is scoring runs every year. He has been a consistent performer across all these years, so he deserves a place in the Test team. He is mentally tough, has matured, and is a smart cricketer. It’s a good opportunity for him and I’m confident that he will do well in SL,” Pawar told mid-day.

Sarfaraz has scored 429 runs in seven Ranji games last season with his impressive knock of 227 helping Mumbai beat Hyderabad by nine wickets.

“Sarfaraz has a very positive approach towards the game. I have never seen him missing a single practice session. He’s a solid hard-working player, always hungry to score runs and very particular about his preparations and practice,” Pawar added.

The BCCI Centre of Excellence is under scrutiny due to recurring player injuries. Officials clarified the center's role as a high-performance facility, not a rehabilitation hub. Coordination between the CoE, team management, and selectors is reportedly seamless and effective. Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan's selection was subject to fitness clearance, which was communicated. The search for a new head of Sports Science and Medicine continues after several candidates withdrew.

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter Sara has revealed that one of the qualities she wants to have with her future partner is the type of constant friendly banter she sees at home between her mother Anjali and her father.

Sara, who is a nutritionist, digital content creator, and a wellness entrepreneur, says her parents are great role models and the best of friends first. “My parents are very good friends before anything else. They have this really fun banter at home, and that’s definitely something I would want in my future partner,” she said in an interview with Vogue magazine.

However, pledging her allegiance to Gen Z, Sara, 28, made it clear that till she doesn’t find the right person, she won’t jump into a marriage. “I’ve seen people get engaged and, during the run-up to the wedding, realise, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Walking away before you’re married is a great step. Previous generations were more afraid to take a stand for themselves, whereas Gen Z feels more confident and empowered to do so when things are going wrong,” she remarked.