Watch: Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir hoist tricolour on Independence Day ahead of SL vs IND 1st Test

India began their Independence Day celebrations with a special moment in Galle before the opening Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka on August 15, as their head coach, Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill, and the entire side gathered to hoist the Tricolour. 

It has been a special occasion for their Test side as the blue brigade prepared themselves for their 600th red-ball encounter on India’s 80th Independence Test. The team, which played its 500th Test match in 2016 against New Zealand at the Green Park in Kanpur, earned a fine victory in that fixture. 

Watch: Gill and Gambhir lead Team India's flag-hoisting ceremony in Galle on the 80th Independence Day

The video has been revealed by the BCCI team, where Gill and Gambhir were seen hoisting the Indian flag in front of their hotel ahead of making their way into the ground for the opening Test of the series against Sri Lanka, which comes as a massive challenge for them to be in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification. 

Watch Gill and Gambhir's celebration here- 

As the flag was hoisted, the national song of the country was played, with every single member of the side standing before the flag amid clapping and celebration of the day.

See Also: Watch: "The main goal is to play the WTC final" — Shubman Gill sets clear target for Team India ahead of IND vs SL 1st Test

It always remains a special day for the Indian side, who, however, spend most of these days each year in England, putting a special frame in the entire celebration.

India opt to bat first without Bumrah — Early jolt as Jaiswal falls cheap on Day 1

India’s captain won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a surface which was expected to get tough to bat on against the spinners. The visitors opted for three spinners in the playing XI in the form of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Manav Suthar, along with their two pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

India lost their opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, early in the innings due to a miscommunication, which resulted in the batter’s run-out. Both KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, on the other hand, showed full aggression against the spinners. 

See Also: Watch: Veteran Sri Lankan cricket coach dies after altercation with cricketers ahead of IND vs SL 1st Test

The blue brigade made their way to 69/1 after 16 overs while Jaiswal found himself in the dressing room for his 32 runs off 37 balls, thanks to five boundaries.

Fans flood social media as India salutes the Tricolour before a landmark Test

Indian fans flooded social media with celebrations as India salutes the Tricolour before the landmark 600th Test match against Sri Lanka-