Captain De Silva believes Sri Lanka hold advantage over India

Sri Lanka's captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, has stated that his team is well-prepared to gain the upper hand against India in the upcoming first Test match, which is scheduled to begin in Galle on Saturday. De Silva highlighted that Sri Lanka is aware of how conditions at Galle can change during a Test and plans to exploit those conditions against an Indian side that has struggled against spin in recent years.

The Sri Lankan captain believes that India's recent defeats by New Zealand and South Africa on turning wickets will only motivate them to bounce back strongly in the series. However, De Silva emphasized that international cricket is not easy and if Sri Lanka can take the games to the fourth or fifth day, they will have a better chance to beat India.

The captain added that Sri Lanka's strong batting lineup and quality seamers make them a formidable team. De Silva also pointed out that the biggest challenge for the batters will be adapting once the pitch starts turning, rather than simply negotiating the initial spells of spin. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah from the Indian team could be a significant boost for Sri Lanka, but the captain stressed that Sri Lanka would not underestimate India, even with the loss of key players.

KL Rahul, according to De Silva, would be the biggest threat for Sri Lanka due to his experience and familiarity with local conditions. Sri Lanka aims to take advantage of their home conditions and put sustained pressure on India across the five days of the Test match.