IND vs SL: What happened last time India, led by Virat Kohli, played Sri Lanka in a Test in Galle?

India will play a Test match in Sri Lanka on 15 August, for the first time since 2017. The opening match will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, followed by the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo from 23 August.

Both Tests carry weight as they are part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.

Interestingly, only three Indian players (Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav) in the current squad played in the Test series against Sri Lanka in 2017, making this the first Sri Lanka tour for most of the team.

What happened last time India played a Test in Galle

India, led by Virat Kohli, last played a Test in Galle in July 2017, the opener of a three-match Test series.

The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision to do so paid dividends as Shikhar Dhawan returned to the Test side in style. He was promoted to the top order and opened the innings with Abhinav Mukund, who was dismissed in the eighth over for just 12 runs.

However, the turning point then began as Dhawan and No 3 batter Cheteshwar Pujara (153) forged a 353-run stand for the second wicket. Dhawan scored 190 runs off 168 balls, reaching his century in 110 deliveries.

Dhawan and Pujara laid the foundation, and the duo were later supported by Ajinkya Rahane (57), Ravichandran Ashwin (47) and Hardik Pandya (50) as India posted a whopping total of 600 on the board.

Sri Lanka's first innings offered some resistance, with Angelo Mathews scoring 83 and Dilruwan Perera remaining unbeaten on 92. However, Jadeja took three wickets as Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 291, leaving India with a 309-run first-innings lead.

India, however, didn't enforce the follow-on and decided to come out to bat again, for their second innings.

This time, it was skipper Kohli who led from the front, scoring an unbeaten 103 after coming out to bat at No 4. Mukund also made a crucial contribution of 81, helping India reach 240/3.

Sri Lanka were then set a mammoth target of 550. Like in their first innings, the hosts showcased some resistance, with opener Dimuth Karunaratne scoring 97.

Later, Kusal Mendis scored 36, whereas Niroshan Dickwella contributed 67. However, a majority of the middle-order batters succumbed to pressure as India's bowling attack eventually broke through.

Ashwin and Jadeja claimed three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka finished on 245 for eight, unable to complete the chase. India thus completed a 304-run win inside four days. This also marked India's biggest Test win over Sri Lanka by runs.