In his prime, Sitanshu Kotak was a domestic giant. The Saurashtra batter amassed runs and was a steady presence on Indian pitches. Now, as India’s batting coach, Kotak is happy with the way Devdutt Padikkal has shaped up in the current Test series between India and Sri Lanka.

Also read | Padikkal makes a habit of scoring centuries as India touches 300

“His intent, temperament and the pace with which he batted looked good. It is a good sign for us. He has been waiting for his turn and I am happy with the way he has prepared for this opportunity,” Kotak told the media on Sunday.

Asked if Padikkal had sealed the No. 3 slot, Kotak remained diplomatic: “He has done well at No. 3; previously Sai Sudharsan too did well though he did not get hundreds. Both Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan are top-order batters… they can open against the new-ball, too. For now, Padikkal has done well.”

The batting coach, though, would have preferred fewer dismissals: “I would have liked 300 for three or four. Some of the dismissals were soft, set batters losing wickets, but it happens in cricket. Now it is time for our all-rounders and lower-order to score.”

As for the injured Rishabh Pant, Kotak added: “He seems fine and should play.”

Kotak felt that the pitch assisted both pace and spin: “Fast bowlers had a little movement and that was good. We felt that the spin was also good. On day three and four, the pitch will assist spinners a little more.”

The second day’s first one hour would be the key, reckoned Kotak: “You don’t want to lose wickets in the last 15 minutes before the break. Now, the new-ball is there and the first hour would be crucial. If we bat well maybe we could get to the par-score of 400-plus.”

Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, quickly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026).

Later, near the dugout, he spoke to the media about the twirly men under his watch. Many questions centred around Kuldeep Yadav, a fine talent but seemingly rusty at the moment.

“Kuldeep has been bowling extremely well. It’s just that due to the situation that arose in Galle, he had to play a different role. He tried his best to execute that role,” Bahutule said.

Getting more technical in his analysis, the spin-coach added, “We had to see how the trajectory and the speeds work in every session. As the days went by, there was a demand for different types of speeds and trajectories; he definitely was making an effort to bowl that.”

Turning his eye towards Manav Suthar, Bahutule said, “He is somebody who has bowled a lot in domestic cricket and has done the hard yards. He understands his bowling well. What we try to do is to see how that awareness of bowling gets better in different conditions, on different pitches, and against different batters. He is very accurate, and his trajectories are getting better. He puts in a lot on the ball, the revolutions are good and he is somebody who is like a banker for us.”

Bahutule also spoke about the essential nature of ideal preparation. “It’s very difficult for a player sometimes to adjust to different formats. But I think what we did coming early on this tour was — in that warm-up game and in the open net sessions — we trained well and got to understand the conditions and could adapt to them. The amount of cricket being played is quite a bit, but our job as coaches is to manage their minds and help them adapt,” he said.

Saransh in the fray

With Sri Lanka adding left-handed batters to the squad, the temptation to play off-spinner Saransh Jain is real, and Bahutule did not deny that.

“There is another day to go before the Test. We will have a look at the pitch and understand what will be the need. Yes, the (left-handed) additions are there in their team. We will definitely consider him (Saransh Jain) once the pitch is completely ready to play,” he said.

The speculation over Kuldeep’s berth in the playing eleven lingered, and when another question was raised, Bahutule said, “He has been a fabulous bowler over the years. Yes, the pitches sometimes are slow, and sometimes the ball operates differently for the spinners on certain surfaces. But for me, he has always been a match winner, and he definitely is in the scheme of things. When the ball becomes softer, it becomes even more difficult for a wrist-spinner like him.”

A gentle passing of the baton is on in Indian cricket and this one is centred around left-arm spin.

Just as Ravindra Jadeja copes with sporting twilight, his successor could well be Manav Suthar. The duo was among the wickets in the first innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.

Suthar, who made his debut against Afghanistan earlier this year, grabbed four wickets while his senior colleague gained three. “Our main focus was to get wickets in the first session. We did the same in the second session but Sri Lanka batted well. Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella played well and kept rotating the strike. But we got results in the third session,” Suthar told the media on Monday.

Even as Sri Lanka held firm between lunch and tea, Suthar said that the plans were clear: “Our main focus was to get them out and what could be the best mode of dismissal. Even if a wicket didn’t fall in that session, we just focused on creating opportunities.”

After his Test debut, Suthar trained with the Kookaburra ball as it is used in Sri Lanka: “I was practising with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test and my plan has always been to bowl in good areas. The Sri Lankan spinners varied their pace and on this pitch, the more consistent you are, the more purchase you get.”

Suthar dismissed Dinesh Chandimal with his very first delivery. “It is a very good feeling to get a wicket off the first ball. It gives you a lot of confidence. The pitch here has some bounce and it has been a good experience to bowl on this surface.”

He also clarified that issues like the ball going soft and the strong breeze did not affect his rhythm.

A slew of milestones will be registered when the first Test featuring India and Sri Lanka commences at the Galle International Stadium here on Saturday (August 15, 2026). This would be India’s 600th Test, the picturesque venue’s 50th Test and also Shubman Gill’s 10th Test as the Indian skipper!

Within this array of numbers, Gill is conscious of one challenging reality: the need to qualify for the ICC Test Championship final. Addressing the media on Friday (August 14, 2026), Gill said: “The main goal is to play the World Test Championship final next year. We have to win around six or seven to have a chance of qualifying. In terms of that, this is a very important series.”

In the rush-hour that is international cricket, teams hardly get time to settle. The current tour has been an exception with an early arrival and a warm-up game, and Gill highlighted that: “If the scheduling allows us to have at least a week or 10 days before a Test, it helps with the preparation. Last year we had a busy schedule and it is never easy. Most players require a bit of time to adjust with the conditions. So this extra time in preparation helps.”

Gill also backed Devdutt Padikkal and praised Prasidh Krishna: “Devdutt was here earlier with India A and did well. He has got all the skills and the potential to succeed in this format.” Later he added: “Prasidh recently has been bowling the best that I have ever seen him bowl.”

The aesthetics around the first Test venue came in for praise but Gill added a note of caution: “In grounds which are open, wind plays a crucial part. As a batter if you want to take on a spinner, we have to see if the wind is with us or against us.”

India’s two-Test series against hosts Sri Lanka will be played in Galle and Colombo from August 15 to 27, the home board Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Thursday (July 2,2026).

The series is part of the World Test Championship. The first Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium from August 15, while the second will be at the Singhalese Sports Club from August 23, read a statement from Sri Lanka Cricket.

India, who have made two finals but never won the World Test Championship title, are currently fifth in the standings, while Sri Lanka are sixth.

India will also tour New Zealand this year for a two-match Test series in November-December.

India had begun the Shubman Gill captaincy era with a commendable 2-2 draw in England before winning the home series against the West Indies.

However, the mighty hosts were whitewashed by South Africa at home last year, raising serious questions over the batters’ ability to play spin.

The Sri Lankan spinners in their own backyard will provide another stiff challenge to the Indian batters.

The last time India toured Sri Lanka for a Test series was in 2017 when they had won 3-0.