Can India solve their spin problem before Sri Lanka Test challenge?
India have lost five of their last nine Tests on spin-friendly tracks and now face a Sri Lankan side whose home success still rests heavily on slow bowling
India have returned to red-ball cricket after a long break with the one-off Test against Afghanistan. The tougher test, however, begins when India resume their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign with a two-Test series in Sri Lanka from August 15 to 27.
For Shubman Gill’s side, the tour is not just another bilateral series. It is a chance to revive their WTC campaign and address a concern that has grown over the past two years: India’s struggle against quality spin.
India are sixth in the WTC standings with 52 points and a points percentage of 48.15. Sri Lanka are third with 16 points and a points percentage of 66.67, making the series important for both sides.
India’s recent record against spin raises questions
For long, India have been one of the strongest sides in spin-friendly conditions. Recent results, however, tell a different story.
Since 2024, India have played nine Tests on turning tracks against Bangladesh, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa. They have won four and lost five. These defeats include a 3-0 home sweep by New Zealand and a 2-0 loss to South Africa.
The wicket count shows the scale of the problem. Indian batters have lost 87 wickets to spin in this period, compared with 46 against pace.
New Zealand exposed the issue most clearly, taking 37 wickets through spin across three Tests. South Africa followed a similar plan, claiming 25 wickets through slow bowling in their 2-0 win.
India’s spin attack is also changing
The Sri Lanka series comes at a time when India are also reshaping their spin attack.
For much of the past decade, India’s success on turning tracks rested on the shoulders of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin has now retired, and the team management is looking for Jadeja’s long-term successor.
That makes Sri Lanka an early test of India’s next spin group in conditions where slow bowlers usually dominate.
India have already tried Manav Suthar as a new spin option. The 23-year-old impressed against Afghanistan, taking six wickets for 22 runs in the first innings to put India in control.
The BCCI has also added Harsh Dubey to the 15-member squad after his strong Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 run, suggesting India are looking to strengthen their spin options while the senior players remain part of the setup.
Sri Lanka’s home success is built on spin
Sri Lanka’s recent home record shows why India’s challenge will be difficult.
Across their last three home Test series against Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand, Sri Lankan bowlers have taken 75 wickets through spin and only 16 through pace.
In a 1-0 series win over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s spinners took 21 wickets. Against Australia, they took 17 wickets despite losing the series 2-0. Against New Zealand, they were at their best, taking 37 wickets in a 2-0 sweep.
More than 82 per cent of Sri Lanka’s wickets across those three series came through spin. That underlines how central slow bowling remains to their home success.
Sri Lankan conditions reward all spinners
It is not only Sri Lankan bowlers who benefit from the conditions. Visiting spinners have also done well on the island.
Australia’s spinners took 34 wickets during their 2-0 win in Sri Lanka. New Zealand’s slow bowlers took 14 wickets despite losing their series.
History points in the same direction
Across the 2001, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2017 Test series between India and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, Indian bowlers took 141 wickets through spin and 97 through pace. Sri Lanka’s bowlers took 144 wickets through spin and 83 through pace.
Spin accounted for nearly 60 per cent of India’s wickets and more than 63 per cent of Sri Lanka’s wickets in those series.
The venue data also supports the trend. At Galle, Indian spinners took 49 wickets compared with 35 by pacers, while Sri Lanka’s spinners took 62 wickets against 20 by pacers. At SSC Colombo, spin accounted for 36 Indian wickets and 42 Sri Lankan wickets. At PSS Colombo, the figures stood at 29 and 26.
Kandy was the only exception, where pace bowlers had more success. Indian pacers took 13 wickets and Sri Lankan pacers took 12, while spinners from both teams took seven wickets combined.
Wherever the matches are played, spin is likely to remain the key factor. India vs Sri Lanka Tests in Sri Lanka (2001-2017): Pace vs spin wickets by series
Venue-wise split (2001-2017)
| Series | Pace wickets (India) | Pace wickets (Sri Lanka) | Spin wickets (India) | Spin wickets (Sri Lanka) |
| 2001 | 25 | 25 | 14 | 19 |
| 2008 | 17 | 10 | 39 | 43 |
| 2010 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 23 |
| 2015 | 18 | 19 | 35 | 36 |
| 2017 | 20 | 12 | 35 | 23 |
| Total | 97 | 83 | 141 | 144 |
| Venue | Pace wickets (India) | Pace wickets (Sri Lanka) | Spin wickets (India) | Spin wickets (Sri Lanka) |
| Galle | 35 | 20 | 49 | 62 |
| Kandy | 13 | 12 | 4 | 3 |
| SSC, Colombo | 19 | 18 | 36 | 42 |
| PSS, Colombo | 18 | 17 | 29 | 26 |
| Pallekele | 8 | 2 | 11 | 8 |
| Total | 93 | 69 | 129 | 141 |
Sairaj Bahutule faces early test as spin coach
India’s preparations have also come with a change in the coaching setup.
Earlier this year, the BCCI appointed former all-rounder Sairaj Bahutule as the men’s team’s spin-bowling coach. Bahutule played two Tests and eight ODIs for India and had a long domestic career, scoring 6,176 runs and taking 630 first-class wickets.
Coaching changes rarely bring instant results, but the Sri Lanka tour will offer an early look at the direction of India’s spin programme under him.
Why the Sri Lanka series matters for India
The series is important for more than just tactics and conditions.
India are outside the top five in the WTC standings and have little room for error. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have a chance to strengthen their place among the leading contenders.
For India, the result may depend on two questions: can their batters survive long spells of spin, and can their own slow bowlers use Sri Lankan conditions as well as previous touring sides have done?
The next two Tests will show whether India have found answers to a problem that has hurt them for much of the past two years.