Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 21: The Indian men's senior selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, is expected to announce the squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka after receiving clarity on the fitness of all-rounder Washington Sundar.

India will begin the two-match Test series on August 15 in Galle, with the squad expected to depart for Sri Lanka on August 4 to begin preparations, including a four-day warm-up match.

According to reports, informal discussions on the squad took place during India's recently concluded white-ball tour of England, while a formal selection meeting is expected shortly.

The selectors are awaiting the medical assessment of Washington Sundar, who sustained a right hamstring injury during the three-match ODI series in England. The injury forced him to miss the series-deciding ODI at Lord's.

Although the discomfort reportedly eased after he reached London, Sundar underwent scans, the results of which were shared with specialists for further evaluation.

Even if the injury is only a Grade 1 strain, the 26-year-old is expected to require at least two weeks to regain full match fitness. He is likely to report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for medical clearance before a decision is taken on his inclusion.

The squad is expected to undergo a few changes from the one-off Test against Afghanistan last month, with senior players Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja likely to return.

If Sundar is ruled out, the selectors will have to decide whether to retain Harsh Dubey or include an off-spinner such as Saransh Jain to provide greater variety in the spin attack.

Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav are expected to retain their places, while the pace attack is likely to comprise Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna.

Jadeja had not featured in the Afghanistan Test following the Indian Premier League, but Agarkar had earlier described the experienced all-rounder as India's "No. 1 spinner" in the longest format.

The batting unit is expected to remain largely unchanged, although the selectors will have to decide between including seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence, or opting for a specialist player if either he or Sundar is unavailable.

The Sri Lanka series will be crucial for India, who are seeking to revive their campaign in the World Test Championship after disappointing home series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Following the Sri Lanka tour, India are scheduled to tour New Zealand before hosting Australia in a five-Test home series.