India flex muscle vs jittery Lankans
With Rohit and Shikhar reunited at the top, India will look to avenge their Champions Trophy loss
as well as Kedar Jadhav – a bighitter who can also bowl spin.
With the vice-captaincy going to Rohit, Rahane, India’s key middle-order batsman in Tests who sat out most of the ICC Champions Trophy games but was the highest scorer in the West Indies series that followed, is no certainty in the eleven.
HUNGRY BUNCH All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made a splash in the Test series with a racy debut century in the Pallekele victory, and chinaman Kuldeep Yadav will look to extend their fine form.
With Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav as well as R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja not playing, the likes of Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal can hope to get a look-in alongside Shardul Thakur, the 25-year-old Mumbai pacer who is yet to play for India.
Sri Lanka will be boosted by the experienced Lasith Malinga, but will have to bat far better than they did in the Test series to make it an even contest and ensure they don’t have to fight the qualification battle for the World Cup spot.
Kusal Perera and Dhanushka Gunathilaka, whose half-centuries helped Sri Lanka upstage India in the Champions Trophy, as well as Angelo Mathews, who gave up captaincy after the humiliating home ODI series loss to Zimbabwe, will have to come good.
The Indian bowling attack will be eager, and will be backed by the new-found intensity for fielding. However, Sri Lanka have had the upper hand at Dumbulla, where they hold a 7-4 winloss record.