Galle [Sri Lanka], August 14 (ANI): India Test captain Shubman Gill on Friday described leading the country in its landmark 600th Test match as a 'big honour and privilege', with the historic fixture against Sri Lanka set to begin at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

India will become the first Asian team and only the third side after England and Australia to play 600 Tests when the first Test of the two-match series gets underway on August 15, India's Independence Day.

Gill, who took over as India's Test captain last year, interacted with the media on the eve of the Test match and said the opportunity to lead India in such a significant match made the occasion even more special.

'It's a very big honour and privilege. Any Test match that you captain for your country is a huge deal. Obviously, leading my country in our 600th Test match is a big honour and privilege for me, and doing that on Independence Day is even more special for us,' Gill said at the pre-match press conference.

The 26-year-old said he has become comfortable in the leadership role and believes India has made progress in the right direction during his first year as captain.

'I am very comfortable with the role. I think the way we've been progressing in the past year has been very pleasing to see from my perspective. I think we are taking all the right steps in the right direction,' he said.

With India currently fifth in the World Test Championship 2025-27 standings after four wins, four defeats and a draw from nine matches, Gill acknowledged the importance of the Sri Lanka series in India's bid to reach the final. The second Test of the series is also significant for Sri Lanka who is currently sixth in the WTC standings.

'Obviously, the main goal is to play in the World Test Championship final, which is next year. We have played about nine Tests in this cycle, and I think we have to win around six or seven more to have a good chance at qualifying. In terms of that, I think this is a very important series for us, and we have had the right kind of preparation leading up to it,' he said.

Gill also backed Devdutt Padikkal amid uncertainty over India's No. 3 position, stressing that young batters need time to establish themselves in Test cricket.

'Devdutt is someone who's been here before with India A and did really well. He's got all the skills and potential to succeed in this format,' Gill said.

The absence of premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah has also left India with a relatively inexperienced bowling attack. Gill said it provides an opportunity for the other bowlers to step up.

'In any Test match, you have to keep trying different things to take wickets because the game itself can be a bit slow. Especially on subcontinent wickets, you have to create opportunities on days one and two when not much might be happening. You have to find ways to create pressure and not let the game slip away from you. Having creative fields is part of that. Bumrah is not here, but I think it's a really good opportunity for some of the other bowlers to step up and make their mark on the series,' he said.

The first Test will also be the 50th Test played at Galle, a venue Gill described as particularly picturesque.

'I think it has a really spectacular view, with the beach right next to it and the fort in front of the stadium. There aren't many stadiums in the world that have a view like this, so it's very special to be able to play in such a historic stadium,' said Gill about the stadium.

India Test Squad: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.

Sri Lanka Test Squad: Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka. (ANI)