3 reasons Sri Lanka can beat India in the Test series

India and Sri Lanka are set to face each other in a two-match Test series, with the first Test beginning at Galle on August 15 and the second in Colombo on August 23. Both sides are competing in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with India placed fifth and Sri Lanka sixth in the standings.

On paper, India remain a formidable side, but a combination of injury setbacks, recent form in the red-ball format and the spin-friendly conditions in the island nation has opened a genuine window for the hosts to make a mark against the dominant Indian force.

Here are 3 reasons why Sri Lanka can beat India in Test series:

3. Missing first-choice players due to injury

India's injury list heading into this series is significant. Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the entire two-match series after failing to fully recover from a left knee injury sustained during the ODI series against England. The BCCI confirmed his absence, and uncapped Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi was named as his replacement in the squad.

The injury concerns do not stop there. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of at least the first Test with a hamstring issue, while Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are both unavailable for the entire tour due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively. Akash Deep is also sidelined with a stress issue on his back.

With Bumrah absent, the new-ball burden falls on Mohammed Siraj, supported by either Prasidh Krishna or Gurnoor Brar. Captain Shubman Gill himself acknowledged the mounting injury concerns after the England ODI series, noting that losing a player after every match suggested something was being missed. Apart from Ravindra Jadeja, the visiting team's bowling attack for this series is largely inexperienced.