SL vs IND, 1st Test: No Sarfaraz Khan as India back Kuldeep Yadav for Galle Test

Sri Lanka vs India, 1st Test: India left out Sarfaraz Khan and backed Kuldeep Yadav in a three-man spin attack for the Galle Test. Shubman Gill won the toss and India opted to bat on Saturday.

In Short

• India won the toss and opted to bat in Galle on Saturday
• India did not pick Sarfaraz Khan despite recalling him to the squad
• Kuldeep Yadav got the nod ahead of off-spinner Saransh Jain

Captain Shubman Gill walked the talk, picking three spinners in his playing XI for the first of a two-match Test series in Galle. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav got the nod ahead of uncapped Saransh Jain. Gill won the toss and India opted to bat on their 80th Independence Day.

SL vs IND, 1st Test Day 1 Updates | Scorecard

Meanwhile, India also backed wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for the lower middle-order role ahead of Sarfaraz Khan, even as quite a few pundits had backed the latter to get the nod for his ability to be proactive against spin.

India also went in with Prasidh Krishna over Gurnoor Brar as the second seamer, partnering Mohammed Siraj.

The pitch at Galle Stadium had an even covering of grass and it's not a rank turner, said Sanjay Manjrekar who presented the pitch report on Saturday morning in Galle.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka handed a debut to spinner Keshara Nuwantha as they were without Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, both batters who are out due to injury concerns.

India (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI) - Lahiru Udara, Nishan Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (C), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Keshara Nuwantha (On Test debut), Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando.

Sarfaraz has been left out despite his return to the Test squad as Sai Sudharsan's replacement. Dhruv will bat alongside regular wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

The selection call ends the pre-match speculation around Sarfaraz, who had trained with the team after being recalled to the squad. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had also urged the team management to give the batter clarity over his role, while backing Dhruv Jurel to remain ahead of him in the pecking order.

Gill had hinted at continuity at the toss, saying India were going in with the "same team" they had fielded in their previous Test. The combination means two fast bowlers, two specialist spinners and two all-rounders, with Kuldeep joining Ravindra Jadeja in the spin department.

SARFARAZ HAS TO WAIT

Sarfaraz's return had generated plenty of discussion, particularly given the conditions in Galle and his ability to attack spin. But the team management have chosen to stick with Jurel in the middle order.

The decision also follows Ashwin's call for better communication around Sarfaraz's place in the Test setup. The former India spinner argued that the batter needed to understand what the management expected from him rather than being left uncertain about his role.

For now, though, Sarfaraz remains on the sidelines.

- Ends