Indian team’s Colombo warm-up fixture shortened by a day

The warm-up match between the touring Indian Test side and a local Sri Lankan XI has been shortened by a day. Originally scheduled as a four-day fixture, the game will now be played over three days, beginning on August 7 with the match concluding on August 9. India will play two Tests in Sri Lanka, starting on August 15.

While announcing the squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had said: "Ahead of the series, the team will play a four-day practice match in Colombo, starting on August 7." It has now emerged that all concerned, including the BCCI and the Indian team management, have been informed of the change. The match will be played at the NCC Ground, situated close to the SSC Stadium in Colombo.

Having last played a Test in June, the fixture was seen as a key part of Shubman Gill's side's preparations for the two-Test series, part of the current WTC cycle. The exact reason for shortening the match is not known but multiple sources in the BCCI and Indian team management confirmed the change.

It is also learnt that the match will be broadcast live. Cricbuzz reached out to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for a comment.

The Indian team will leave for Colombo on August 4. After the three-day match, the team will travel to Galle, the venue for the opening Test. The second Test, beginning on August 23, will be played at the SSC.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Sai Sudharsan, whose selection for the series was subject to fitness, is well on the road to recovery. The left-hander is understood to have been nursing a niggle in his big toe and has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Sources said he has also resumed batting, raising hopes that he will be fully fit before the team departs.

Jasprit Bumrah was also a conditional pick for the series because of a knee issue, but he too is believed to be on course to regain full fitness ahead of the Test series.

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