From Muralitharan's 800th Wicket to Kohli's Revival: India vs Sri Lanka's Greatest Test Moments

India and Sri Lanka renew their Test rivalry later this month, with the visitors looking to strengthen their position in the World Test Championship while extending their dominance over one of their oldest Asian rivals.

Although Sri Lanka won the first-ever Test series between the two nations in 1985, the rivalry has increasingly been dominated by India over the past two decades. Here's a look at the head-to-head record and the defining moments in the history of the contest.

India vs Sri Lanka Test head-to-head

India holds a commanding advantage in the overall Test record between the two sides.

• Matches played: 46
• India wins: 22
• Sri Lanka wins: 7
• Draws: 17

The teams first met in a Test series in 1985 after Sri Lanka gained Test status in 1982. While the rivalry was initially more evenly balanced, India has gradually established itself as the dominant side, particularly since the turn of the century.

Sri Lanka made the early running

Sri Lanka enjoyed considerable success at home during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The island nation secured its first Test series victory over India in 1985, winning 1-0 at home. It remained a difficult destination for visiting teams, with spin-friendly conditions often proving decisive.

The 2001 series underlined Sri Lanka's strength, as the hosts defeated India 2-1 with Muttiah Muralitharan once again playing a central role.

Muralitharan and Mendis stunned India in 2008

One of Sri Lanka's most memorable triumphs came in 2008.

Muralitharan combined with mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis to dismantle an Indian batting line-up featuring some of the game's biggest names, helping Sri Lanka claim a 2-1 series victory.

Mendis, making his Test debut, proved particularly difficult to read, announcing himself as one of world cricket's most exciting new spin bowlers.

Murali's 800th wicket became a historic milestone

The 2010 series is remembered for one of cricket's greatest individual achievements.

Playing his final Test in Galle, Muralitharan dismissed Pragyan Ojha to become the first-and still only-bowler to claim 800 Test wickets.

India recovered from losing the opening Test to level the three-match series 1-1, with VVS Laxman producing a memorable unbeaten century in Colombo to save the final Test.

Kohli's India changed the rivalry in 2015

The balance of power shifted significantly in 2015.

After suffering a surprise defeat in the opening Test at Galle, Virat Kohli's side responded by winning the next two matches to clinch the series 2-1.

The victory was India's first Test series win in Sri Lanka since 1993 and became one of the defining moments of Kohli's early captaincy. It also marked the beginning of India's emergence as one of the strongest travelling Test teams in world cricket.

India completed a historic whitewash in 2017

Two years later, India returned to Sri Lanka and produced their most dominant performance in the rivalry.

The visitors swept the three-match series 3-0, registering comprehensive victories in Galle, Colombo and Pallekele.

The clean sweep remains India's biggest Test series triumph on Sri Lankan soil and reinforced the gulf between the two teams during that period.

Rohit Sharma's captaincy began with a clean sweep

The most recent Test meeting came in 2022, when Sri Lanka toured India.

Rohit Sharma began his tenure as India's Test captain with a 2-0 series victory, highlighted by Ravindra Jadeja's remarkable all-round display in Mohali. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 175 before claiming nine wickets across the match to script one of the finest all-round performances by an Indian in Test cricket.

What to expect in the 2026 series

India enters the upcoming two-Test series with history firmly on its side, having won 22 of the 46 Tests played between the nations.

However, Sri Lanka has traditionally been a difficult place for visiting teams, particularly for batters adjusting to spin-friendly conditions. With valuable World Test Championship points on offer, the latest chapter in the rivalry carries added significance as India seeks to maintain its dominance while Sri Lanka attempts to revive home fortunes against one of its fiercest regional rivals.