IND vs SL 2026 Weather Updates, 1st Test Match: Rain and wet weather may ruin landmark 600th Test for India

The MET department is predicting rain on all five days of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Galle starting on Saturday.

Updated: August 14, 2026, 5:28 PM IST

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Rain interrupted practice session at Galle International Stadium on Friday(Photo: IANS)

India vs Sri Lanka 2026 Galle Weather: Team India are set to face Sri Lanka in their landmark 600th Test match to kick-off a two-match series at the picturesque Galle International Stadium from SaturdayThe Indians will be playing in a Test match against Sri Lanka for the first time since 2022 and will be playing in a series in the Emerald Isles for first time since 2017.

All eyes will be on the 22 yard strip for the first Test at the Galle – venue where Lankan bowlers like Rangana Herath and the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan have dominated over the yearsBoth teams will have one eye on the weather especially after India’s option practice session at the venue on the eve of the Test match was washed out due to rain.

The MET department prediction for all five days of the game is not very promising at the momentAccording to the weather department, there is 90 per cent possibility of rain on the opening day of the game on Saturday – India’s 80th Independence DayDay 2 also predicts humid weather and some showers late in the day with a 74 per cent probability of rain.

Here is weather prediction for India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test for all five days at Galle…

Weather prediction for Galle for 5 days.

Unfortunately for both Shubman Gill and Dhananjaya de Silva’s teams there is more possibility of rain on the third day with morning and late-night rain predictedThe last two days of the game on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather prediction gets better with only slight showers in early morning predicted.

There is only around 56 and 60 per cent probability of rain predicted on the last two days of the gameIndians will be hoping that rain will provide them enough of a gap to push for a win in the first Test of the series.

The pitch at the Galle International Stadium has improved over the last few yearsIt is no longer the raging turner of the past.

Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel believes it will be a good batting surface and believes ‘something could happen’ as the game progresses.

“It looked like a good surfaceAnd I think as the Test match will go on, something will start to happenWe’ve prepared basically for all that can come our wayFor us, it’s more about the mental challenge now, facing these conditions, batting time, bowling those spells and getting the ball in the right area,” Morkel had said in a media interaction on Thursday.