SL vs IND Live Today, Aug 23: Scorecard, Streaming Links, Playing XI & Highlights

Lead-in India have reached 88/2 at lunch on Day 1 of the SL vs IND 2nd Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, after opting to bat first in a contest that could decide the two-match series. Lunch report: solid platform after early blows • Openers KL Rahul (caught behind for 19) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (bowled for a run-a-ball 45) fell in the space of 10 overs, both to sharp pace from Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando respectively. • Debutant Devdutt Padikkal (13*, 35 b) was dropped twice but steadied himself alongside Shubman Gill (11*, 29 b) in an unbroken 22-run stand. • Sri Lankan quicks extracted movement with the new ball, but the surface already shows signs of flattening out, making the first post-lunch hour critical for both sides. Flashpoint: Jaiswal vs Fernando Jaiswal counter-attacked with three boundaries in an over, prompting a heated verbal exchange with Fernando that required umpire intervention before the bowler knocked back the southpaw’s off stump minutes later. Series context • India lead 1-0 after a commanding 165-run victory in Galle, sealed by left-arm spinner Manav Suthar’s 10-wicket match haul and Padikkal’s maiden Test 167. • A draw or win here will deliver India their fourth consecutive series triumph on Sri Lankan soil; the hosts must prevail to square the series and protect an unbeaten home record this season. Key numbers at lunch • Run rate: 3.52 rpo • Overs left today: 65 • Win probability: Sri Lanka 68 %, India 20 %, draw 12 % • Youngest Indians to 3,000 Test runs: Gill becomes the fifth-youngest at 26 y 349 d What to watch this afternoon 1. Reverse swing once the ball reaches 40 overs—Asitha Fernando averages 18.4 with the old ball in home Tests. 2. Spin duel: veteran Prabath Jayasuriya vs. India’s right-hand core—expect turn to increase after tea. 3. Weather: 30 °C with 60 % humidity; isolated showers forecast late day, so teams may up the scoring rate. How to follow SL vs IND live Ball-by-ball commentary, interactive scorecards, and video highlights are streaming on official broadcasters and cricket portals; fans in India can also tune in via DD Sports and Disney+ Hotstar, while Sri Lankan viewers have SLRC coverage. Bottom line With Padikkal looking to convert a gritty start and Gill chasing a milestone fifty, India will aim for a first-innings total in excess of 350. Sri Lanka’s best chance is early wickets—if they miss, the visitors’ middle order featuring Iyer and Pant could wrest full control before spin comes into play.