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Sai Sudharsan's absence from the Indian squad in Sri Lanka initially raised concerns, but the young batter is now closing in on a return. The Gujarat Titans player had stayed back at the BCCI Centre of Excellence to recover from a toe injury picked up during the A tour. He was named in the Test squad starting August 15, but his participation was always subject to fitness clearance.

According to recent reports, Sudharsan has resumed batting and spent over an hour in the nets. He is expected to be assessed over the next two to three days before a final decision is made. A PTI report suggested he might join before the second Test on August 23, but a Cricbuzz update indicates he could arrive as early as August 8. This means he will miss the three-day warm-up match from August 7 to 9 but should link up with the team well ahead of the Galle opener.

Meanwhile, India are leaving nothing to chance for the spin-friendly conditions. The team has brought four net bowlers, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian, and Vipraj Nigam, to assist in preparations. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal have already trained extensively against spinners before departure.

With a mediocre WTC campaign so far, drawing with England, beating West Indies, but losing to South Africa, India desperately need a strong showing in Sri Lanka to stay in final contention.