Galle [Sri Lanka], August 14 (ANI): India Test captain Shubman Gill backed young all-rounder Manav Suthar to fill the No. 8 role and provide batting depth in the absence of the team's usual all-round options, saying the left-arm spinner has the potential to develop into a quality batter in the longest format.

India will begin their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at Galle on Saturday, with the opening game also marking the country's 600th Test.

Gill acknowledged that India have adopted a more specialist combination for the series but said Suthar's ability with the bat could give the side the required balance.

'That's where someone like Manav Suthar comes in. He's got the ability with the bat, and we know he can perform. At this level, you need a bit of experience, belief, and confidence, and that will only come once you're out there playing and scoring runs. Hopefully, he does that in this series. He has great skill with his bowling and the potential to be a really good number eight batsman as well,' Gill said at the pre-match press conference.

India have been without some key players for the series, with premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to a recurring left knee issue, while batter Sai Sudharsan has also been sidelined with a right toe stress reaction.

Gill, however, insisted the absences have not affected the team's morale and backed the 15-member squad to deliver.

'We are in touch with them, and there is constant monitoring of the players. Sai's case was quite unfortunate. It looked like he would be able to be a part of the series, but despite constant scans and monitoring, he wasn't improving as much as we expected. Sometimes, you have to take a call from the player's perspective on whether to take that risk. A Test match is five days long, and while you might take a risk in a one-day or T20 match, you don't want to do that in a Test. We were a bit disappointed, but it hasn't affected the team's morale much. I feel that whoever is in our squad of 15, and whoever we play in our eleven, can play well and win in any condition,' he said.

Auqib Nabi has replaced Bumrah in the squad, while Sarfaraz Khan came in for Sudharsan.

Gill also revealed that KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, the only members of the current squad to have played India's previous Test series in Sri Lanka in 2017, have shared their experience with the group.

'In group discussions they talk about their experiences and how the game flowed. It's very important to know the flow of the game at every venue and in every country. They have shared those insights,' he said.

The India captain also faces a selection dilemma between tall pacer Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna, with Mohammed Siraj most likely to be the other seamer in playing XI.

'As for picking between Gurnoor and Prasidh, they are both very skilled bowlers and bowled really well in the practice match. We have seen how good Gurnoor is with the old ball; when nothing is happening, you need that extra bit of pace and bounce, and he is very tall. Prasidh has recently been bowling the best I have ever seen him bowl in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. It will be a very tough decision for us to pick just one,' Gill said.

The series is crucial for India's World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, with India currently fifth in the standings and Sri Lanka sixth.

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)