Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the 1st Test of the two Test series. The match will be played at Galle International Stadium from 17th June 2025 to 21st June 2025 at 10:00 AM IST. Sri Lanka Sri Lanka start the new WTC cycle following a 2-0 home loss to Australia, returning to Galle with a team comprising six uncapped players. This series will be Angelo Mathews' final one in Tests, after Dimuth Karunaratne's recent retirement. Their batting unit, which was strong in the past, has not performed well in 2024, which led to the inclusion of new faces like Lahiru Udara and Pasindu Sooriyabandara. In conditions favored by spinners, Prabath Jayasuriya will spearhead the attack, aided by Akila Dananjaya and Tharindu Rathnayake. Bangladesh Bangladesh come into the series low on confidence and form, with only two international victories this year. Their top-order is unstable, and star players such as Shanto and Mushfiqur are out of touch. Without any reserve openers, the side struggles with selection. Spin will be pivotal, with Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam spearheading the attack, and Ebadot Hossain back after two years to bolster the pace attack. SL vs BAN 1st Test: Pitch Report The Galle International Stadium, which is called the home of cricket in Sri Lanka, usually favors spin bowlers. It has conducted numerous Test matches and is renowned for supporting spinners. Spin bowling becomes a major factor regarding how the match will go here. Fourth-innings batting is extremely difficult, so the team that comes in first will try to score at least 370 to 380 runs. The average first-innings score at Galle from 48 Tests is 372. Scores tend to decrease as the match progresses, and a chase in the fourth innings is not straightforward. Yet, the largest successful chase at this venue is 344 runs by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 2022. Therefore, teams will still feel they can chase down any given target. SL vs BAN 1st Test: Weather Report There are 80% chances of precipitation on all five days of the Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The average temperature is expected to remain between 28 to 31 degree. SL vs BAN Head-to-Head (in Tests) SL vs BAN head-to-head (in Tests) Match Played 26 Won by Sri Lanka 20 Won by Bangladesh 1 No Result 0 Drawn 5 Probable XI Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Tharindu Ratnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Jaker Ali (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Murad, Hasan Mahmud Must-Pick Players for SL vs BAN 1st Test Top Wicketkeeper to Pick Dinesh Chandimal | SL: Chandimal is one of the finest and experienced batter in the current squad of Sri Lanka. The batter has amassed over 6000 runs in this format at an averge of nearly 44. His experience and ability to bat on the turning track will surely give fruitful results. Kusal Mendis | SL: Kusal Mendis boasts the average of 53.71 in Tests against Bangladesh. This is his highest against a full-time nation. His recent form in the FC cricket also makes him a player to watch out for in this Test. Having him in your side will help you earn some crucial points. Top Batters to Pick Pathum Nissanka | SL: The 27-year-old is close to reaching 1,000 runs in this format. Although his average against Bangladesh in this format isn't appealing, but his recent form in First Class cricket is what makes him a player worth to have in your XI. Mushfiqur Rahim | BAN: The experienced Bangladeshi batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, enjoys batting against Sri Lanka and that too in Sri Lanka. Against this rival, Rahim has scored 1346 Test runs at an average of 53.84. Moreover, his average in Test in Sri Lanka is 62.63, which shows his dominance against the spin. His presence in your dream team will boast your chances of winning. Top All-Rounders to Pick Kamindu Mendis | SL: In just 12 Tests played by him in his short career, Kamindu has scored five centuries and four half-centuries and has also picked up three wickets in six innings. He can score well and also has ability to roll his arms on a turning track. Missing him out won't be a good option. Mehidy Hasan Miraz | BAN: With over 2068 runs and 205 wickets in 53 Tests, Mehidy has proved his mettle in the longest format of the game. Keeping him out will cost your some crucial fantasy points. Top Bowlers to Pick Prabath Jayasuriya | SL: The left-arm orthodox spinner is the joint-second fastest to pick 100 Test wickets. The Lankan spinner has played 20 Tests so far in which he has picked up 116 wickets, 90 of which came on the Sri Lankan soil. Hence, his inclusion in your fantasy XI is must to win. Taijul Islam | BAN: The left-arm spinner has played 53 Tests in which he has picked up 228 wickets. Against Sri Lanka, Taijul Islam has bagged 30 wickets and his with the conditions offering great assistance to the spinners, he is expected to add some good numbers to this tally.