Where is the India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test being played?

The second Test is being played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, from 23 to 27 August 2026. It is the second and final match of India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2026.

What is the series score between India and Sri Lanka?

India lead the two-match series 1-0. They won the first Test at Galle by 165 runs, so a win or a draw in the Colombo Test would hand India the series. A Sri Lanka win would level it 1-1.

Who made their debut for India in the 2nd Test?

Spin-bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain was handed his Test debut for India. He came into the XI in place of left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who was unavailable as he was still recovering from a viral infection.

Who scored a century for India on Day 1?

Devdutt Padikkal scored a century to put India in control, and captain Shubman Gill made a fifty before falling. India reached 300 for 5 at stumps on Day 1 after Gill won the toss and chose to bat.

India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test at Colombo: Padikkal Ton, Series on the Line, and What to Watch

India arrived in Colombo with a series win in their sights, and by the close of the first day they were well on the way to it. Leading the two-match series 1-0, Shubman Gill's side put together a commanding opening day in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, built on a century from Devdutt Padikkal and a debut for a new spin-bowling all-rounder. Here is everything you need to know about the match.

A note: this is a live Test, and the details below are current as of the close of Day 1. Scores will move as the match goes on.

The match at a glance

Fixture: India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test (India's tour of Sri Lanka 2026).
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Colombo.
Dates: 23 to 27 August 2026.
Series: India lead 1-0; this is the series decider.
Toss: India won it and chose to bat.
Day 1 close: India 300 for 5, Padikkal century, Gill fifty.

Day 1: Padikkal's century puts India on top

After Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat on a Colombo surface expected to help the spinners as the match wears on, India made first use of good batting conditions. The captain himself set the tone with a fifty before falling, but the innings belonged to Devdutt Padikkal, whose century anchored the day and gave the visitors control.

India ended Day 1 at 300 for 5, a position of strength that lets them think about batting Sri Lanka out of the contest and setting up the bowlers to force a result. With the pitch likely to turn more on days four and five, runs on the board now are worth their weight in gold.

The series so far: India 1-0 up

India come into this Test having drawn first blood. They won the opening Test at Galle by 165 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, a dominant result that put the tourists in the driver's seat.

That scoreline shapes everything about the Colombo Test. India need only avoid defeat to take the series; a win would complete a 2-0 sweep. Sri Lanka must win to square the series at 1-1, which is why the hosts are chasing wickets and a result rather than settling in for a draw.

India's XI and the Saransh Jain debut

The big team-news story was a Test debut for spin-bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain, who came in for Kuldeep Yadav. The BCCI said Kuldeep had not fully recovered from a viral infection and was unavailable for selection, opening the door for Jain.

India's full XI for the Colombo Test:

KL Rahul
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Devdutt Padikkal
Shubman Gill (captain)
Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Dhruv Jurel
Ravindra Jadeja
Manav Suthar
Saransh Jain
Mohammed Siraj
Prasidh Krishna

It is a line-up built for these conditions, deep in batting and stacked with spin options in Jadeja, Suthar and the debutant Jain to exploit a wearing SSC pitch.

What Sri Lanka need to do

For Sri Lanka, this is about survival in the series. The hosts will be pinning their hopes on their spinners stepping up to level the contest, and on their batters making the most of home conditions they know well. They handed a debut of their own to Kamil Mishara and retained Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who had come in as a concussion substitute in Galle.

Having conceded a big lead in the series opener, Sri Lanka know that only a win in Colombo keeps the series alive, which puts the onus on them to attack.

Key players to watch

Devdutt Padikkal (India): Fresh off a Day 1 century, batting with real authority.
Shubman Gill (India): The captain, leading from the front and chasing a first overseas series win of this cycle.
Ravindra Jadeja (India): The senior all-rounder, dangerous with bat and ball on a turning track.
Saransh Jain (India): All eyes on the debutant to see how he handles Test cricket.
Sri Lanka's spinners: The hosts' best hope of forcing the result they need.

What's at stake

For India, a series win in Sri Lanka is a marker for a young side under Shubman Gill's captaincy, another step in building a settled Test unit for overseas conditions. For Sri Lanka, it is a chance to salvage pride and level a series that has so far gone against them.

With India already 300 for 5 and a day's batting potentially still to come, the tourists hold the advantage. But Test cricket in Colombo has a way of shifting once the pitch starts to turn.

What to watch next

How big India go. Whether India push toward a total that puts the game beyond Sri Lanka.
The debutant's first spell. How Saransh Jain bowls when he gets the ball in hand.
The pitch. How much the SSC surface turns on days three, four and five.
Sri Lanka's response. Whether the hosts can bat long enough to stay in the series.

India came to Colombo to finish the job, and Day 1 could hardly have gone much better. The series is on the line, the pitch will have the final say, and for now the tourists are firmly in control.

This article covers a live Test match and reflects the state of play as of the close of Day 1 (24 August 2026). Scores and selections are based on public reporting and will change as the match progresses.