![India will take on Sri Lanka in a Test series in August [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1784367379061_IndiawilltakeonSriLankainaTestseriesinAugust.jpg?type=hq)
India will take on Sri Lanka in a Test series in August [Source: AFP]
Once the India tour of the UK and the Zimbabwe tour get over, the Men in Blue will focus on the challenging Sri Lanka series as the two Asian giants will battle against each other in a gruelling Test series that commences in August.
The red-ball series will be a part of the WTC cycle, and India has been struggling to reach the final. For decades, the Sri Lankan conditions have proven to be a challenging contest for the Indian team, especially for their batters.
The Indian batters have often struggled to cope against their spinners, and ahead of the series, the BCCI has come up with a plan to help India win the Test matches.
India to play practice match before Sri Lanka series gets underway
According to the PTI journalist, Kushan Sarkar, the Indian team is likely to play a practice game in Sri Lanka ahead of the Test series in August. The date and the opponent have yet to be revealed, but the match will provide India a great chance to understand the tricky conditions.
India last toured Sri Lanka in 2017 for a red-ball series, and since then, a lot has changed. None of the current Indian batters have toured the Island Nation for a Test series, and this would be their first time playing in such tricky conditions.
The batters need time to acclimatise to the conditions, and the practice match before the main series will provide the batters a chance to do the same.
The importance of Sri Lanka series for India
The India tour of Sri Lanka holds utmost importance for the Indian team. India’s last Test series (2 or more matches) was against South Africa, and the team suffered an embarrassing series defeat.
The Proteas outclassed the Asian side, and that affected India’s WTC position in the points table. Currently, the Shubman Gill-led side languishes at fifth position, with a winning percentage of 48.15.
Hence, to qualify for the WTC final next year, Team India must start winning Test matches, and their first assignment will be against the Lankan Lions. If India beats them, the road to the WTC final will become a bit easier for them.
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However, if they lose, the task would become even harder, especially considering the fact that India will play next against New Zealand and Australia.
Sri Lanka, not the only series where India will play a practice game
Interestingly, Sri Lanka is not the only series where the Indian cricket team will play a practice game before the main tour begins.
After the Sri Lanka series, India’s main Test assignment will be against the New Zealand team, and that too, away from home. Keeping in mind the difficult conditions, the BCCI has decided to hold multi-format matches before the main matches begin.
The India A players and some of the senior members of the squad will take part in three list-A matches and two first-class games, and the series of games will provide valuable experience for all the players.
Just like in Sri Lanka, most of the Indian players have hardly played a Test match in New Zealand, and by playing practice games, they'll get used to the conditions.
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