Sri Lanka’s southern coastal city awoke to steady rain at dawn. Once the clouds cleared, heat and humidity took over. On Thursday, India’s team trained at Galle International Stadium ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka starting Saturday. After the session, bowling coach Morne Morkel spoke to reporters about team selection and pitch conditions. India has played limited red-ball cricket recently, and Morkel noted the challenge of returning to the format. He said the early arrival allowed better preparation and expressed excitement about how the players would perform under pressure. On a pitch likely to favor spin, Morkel did not rule out fielding three left-arm spinners, including Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav. He described them as varied in style and capable of taking twenty wickets. Morkel also addressed the pace attack’s limited experience, highlighting the difficulties of heat, humidity and the softer Kookaburra ball. He viewed the pitch as balanced, with conditions expected to change during the match. Reverse swing could play a role after rain softened the outfield. Morkel stressed the importance of strong first-innings performance, whether batting or bowling first.
