A pitch full of runs, was the initial analysis that Dhananjaya de Silva offered in the lead-up to the first Test against India. “This will be a different pitch from the usual Galle surfaces. I feel this will help the batters a lot, although the rains have prevented the ground-staff from putting in their best effort. But we should get good batting conditions,” the Sri Lankan captain said at the Galle International Stadium here on Friday (August 14, 2026).

With his squad featuring injury-enforced changes, Dhananjaya said: “Galle is a tough place to keep wickets and we have to get our best wicketkeeper on board. Having spoken to the selectors and head coach, we felt that (Niroshan) Dickwella is the right choice.” Incidentally Dickwella replaced an injured Kusal Mendis.

Dhananjaya also hinted about a probable debut for off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha: “He is young and very promising. He has consistency with his line and length and looks a good prospect. He will be a good investment for the future.” The host skipper also became nostalgic about the venue that would host its 50th Test: “It’s a big occasion. We had a lot of success here and personally, I grew up playing my cricket here.”