Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten has outlined his team's approach ahead of the first Test against India, which begins on August 15 at Galle. The two-match series marks India's first Test tour of Sri Lanka in nine years, with the visitors returning to the island for the first time since 2017. India have won five consecutive Tests in Sri Lanka and have not lost a series there since 2008, presenting a significant challenge for the home side.
Kirsten, who was appointed Sri Lanka head coach effective April 15, 2026, on a two-year term, gave a virtual media interaction organised by Sony on Thursday ahead of the opening match. The South African, who previously served as India head coach from 2008 to 2011 and South Africa head coach from 2011 to 2013, brings extensive experience of international cricket to his new role. During his tenure with India, he oversaw the team's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup victory in 2011.
"Everyone has access to a lot of information these days. For every Indian player, we can watch every ball that they’ve faced for the last 10 years. India too can do the same. So, there’s no competitive advantage in looking through information and trying to build a plan or a strategy. I think cricket is largely around how you use your skills and how you build strategy in real time," Kirsten told select media in a virtual interaction organised by Sony on Thursday.
"The game unfolds very differently and players need to navigate those different situations that they’re confronted with in a match. So, our focus has really been on what is our plan A, B and C against every batter and every bowler, based on what the situation in the match requires us to deliver on. Certainly in Test cricket, which unfolds over a decent period of time, the game chops and changes, momentum chops and changes, and we need to have our kind of strategies for that," he added.
Kirsten understands that relying on only their spinners isn't going to be enough against a strong Indian line-up. The 58-year-old said that he would want his team to do well in every facet of the game.
"We would certainly like to bring all the skills into the game, not just spin," the former South African opening batter said.
Concentration crucial in two-match series
Kirsten acknowledged that his team has conducted thorough preparation to identify potential weaknesses in the Indian batting lineup, while recognising that India will have done similar analysis. However, he stressed that pre-match homework becomes secondary once the match begins.
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"We've done as much homework as we can to understand what the potential areas are that we can exploit in the Indian team, as they too would be doing about us. And we will use that information potentially to our advantage. But as I mentioned earlier, once the game unfolds and we see what we are required to do, we'll then plan and strategise accordingly," Kirsten said.
"Games can be won and lost in one session. And in a two-match series, the series can be lost in one session. So, you’ve got to be concentrated all the way through. You can’t lapse too much, because it could be series-defining. So, I think we’re aware that we need to be doing well at home," he added.