Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis All But Ruled Out Of 1st Test Against India

Kusal Mendis during a Test match in Sri Lanka (Source: AFP Photos)Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka’s ODI captain, is all set to miss the first Test between them and India, scheduled to get underway on August 15 at Galle International Stadium. The 31-year-old, who recently suffered a hamstring injury before the start of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, is unlikely to get full fitness before the India vs Sri Lanka Tests.Sri Lanka’s renowned journalist Danuska Aravinda reported that Mendis is still in recovery mode after the injury that he suffered in LPL 2026. Therefore, he is “more likely to miss the first Test in Galle”.A veteran of 75 Tests, Mendis averages 36.36 for Sri Lanka in the longest format of the game, having tallied 4836 runs. Even though he was not at his supreme best of late in Test cricket, with scores reading 0, 8, 69 and 2 in his previous four outings since the last week of June, this injury setback hit Sri Lanka hard, as they are in contention for World Test Championship (WTC) race in the ongoing cycle.Kusal Mendis' Test Record In Sri LankaMendis averages 41.49 in Sri Lanka, with 2365 Test runs under his belt at home after 59 innings. Against India, he had an opportunity to play a Test match only once, which came long back in 2022.Also Read: Sri Lanka Player Suffers Brutal Injury Before India Series, Ruled Out Of Major TournamentBack then, in Bengaluru, Mendis made 54 and 2 in both innings. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin took his wickets when India and Sri Lanka faced off there.Earlier, Kusal Mendis used to bat at Nos. 3 and 4 for Sri Lanka. However, since 2024, he has been demoted to No. 7, traditionally where the designated wicket-keeper bats in Tests.At No. 7, Mendis has done more than a decent job for Sri Lanka in Tests. He averages 44.16 while batting in this position, scoring 530 runs across 14 innings with a best score of an unbeaten 106, which incidentally came in Galle against New Zealand in 2024.Who Can Replace Kusal Mendis In IND vs SL 1st Test?If Kusal Mendis fails to make the cut in the IND vs SL 1st Test, which seems to be the case in reality, Sri Lanka need someone with the big gloves in hand. For that, Nishan Madushka is there,Nishan Madushka’s last Test match in Sri Lanka came in 2024. At home, he has been more than impressive, averaging 55.14 after 386 runs across eight innings in red-ball cricket.The only factor in Fernando is that he opens the batting. However, in wicket-keeping capacity, he fits the bill for Kusal Mendis.For the No. 7 role, Sri Lanka, in all likelihood, will replace Kusal Mendis with Pasindu Sooriyabandara. He was with the Sri Lanka Test squad in the West Indies last month and also captained the Sri Lanka A squad in his last First-Class match against New Zealand. Interestingly, it was played in Galle in April 2026.There against New Zealand A, Sooriyabandara, coming to bat in the lower middle order, made 43 runs in his only innings. Overall, he averages 54.36 in First-Class cricket, scoring 4893 runs in 102 innings.There will be two Tests between India and Sri Lanka. The first one will be held in Galle, while the second one, scheduled to begin on August 23, will be at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo.Also Read: England Test Squad Vs Pakistan Announced; Jacob Bethell Ruled Out