Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi vie for pacer slot in first India vs Sri Lanka Test in Galle

Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi are in contention to make their Test debuts for India in the first match of the two-Test series in Galle, which begins on August 15 as part of the second leg of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

India have played nine Tests so far in the WTC 2025-27 cycle and enter the Sri Lanka tour ranked fifth in the ICC WTC points table, with aims to move into the top two. The two Tests are scheduled in Galle and Colombo from August 15 and August 23 respectively; India prepared for the tour with two Unofficial Tests and a three-day warm-up game.

Selection has been affected by injuries to Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy, and both Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi were added to the Test squad to fill vacancies. The squad list notes Brar and Nabi took spots in place of Bumrah and Reddy in the Test squad.

Gurnoor Brar previously received a maiden Test call-up ahead of India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in June but did not play in that match. After scoring eye-catching ODI performances against Afghanistan and England, Brar earned another opportunity in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, with the selection particularly occurring in the absence of Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana.

Auqib Nabi’s inclusion is his first Test call-up and came as an injury replacement to Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests. Nabi’s domestic season included 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, he was named Player of the Tournament, and his performances were instrumental in Jammu & Kashmir’s maiden Ranji title win, as recorded in the selection notes.

Both pace prospects participated in the two Unofficial Tests and the warm-up match ahead of the series opener. In those matches Brar took 10 wickets in the 2nd Unofficial Test and claimed 3 wickets in the warm-up after bowling 20 overs; he also scored 38 runs in the warm-up fixture. Nabi played in both Unofficial games and took 6 wickets across them, and in the warm-up he bowled five overs in the second innings without taking a wicket.

Sri Lankan surfaces are described in the source material as spin-friendly, and India could opt to play only two front-line pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, with room for a third pacer to make a debut. The coverage states that Gurnoor, who has been part of India A tours for two years and is higher in the pecking order, is likelier than Auqib to receive a Test cap on this tour.

The first Test begins on August 15 in Galle; selectors will finalise the playing XI before that match, and current reporting indicates there are chances Gurnoor Brar will make his Test debut ahead of Auqib Nabi.