Sri Lanka team lead by Angelo Mathews left the country on Tuesday night where they will open the five-match ODI tour with a warm up match against India A at Mumbai.
This will also be Sri Lanka’s first one day match in exactly two months.
Coach Marvan Atapattu who will start his duty as national head coach on the tour said he wants young players to prove themselves.
“Our plans (World Cup preparation) changed due to this tour. But now we have to look at this positively. There is a good chance for players (young) to showcase their talent and seal their place in the team,” said Atapattu before leaving to India at the SLC.
Sri Lanka has a few young players in the team who will be looking to seal a place in the national side. Sri Lanka has two openers Upul Tharanga and Kusal Perera who is competing for the opening slot alongside Thilakarathne Dilshan while players like Ashan Priyanjan, Chathurange de Silva and uncapped fast bowler, Lahiru Gamage will have the chance to prove themselves on the big stage.
“A tour of India is a major challenge for any team and for any captain,” said Atapattu.
After playing their last match against Pakistan on 30 August Sri Lanka players were working on their fitness during a break from international cricket when the SLC gave BCCI a nod to play a hastily scheduled five-match ODI series against India.
Skipper Mathews agreed Sri Lanka was not in their best form for the series after the religious ceremony at SLC prior to leaving the country.
On top of it, Sri Lanka would be without their prime seamer Lasith Malinga and prime spinner Rangana Herath in the series.
On the other hand, India too would be without their regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been rested for the first three matches. In fact their prime strike bowler Mohammed Shami too has been ruled out from the series due to injury.
Nevertheless the Indian fringe players will have a chance to prove their mettle when Manoj Tiwary-led India A take on Sri Lanka in the only one-day warm up match, which will mark the beginning of the hastily scheduled ODI series today.
