Daijiworld Media Network

Fatullah, Feb 25: A warm welcome to the curtain raiser of the 2014 tourney as Sri Lanka clash with Pakistan. The series may have been sandwiched in between the busy T20 season but promises to be interesting, particularly with Afghanistan adding a glaze of freshness. Meanwhile, the reigning champs, Pakistan, led by the uber cool Misbah have voiced their satisfaction over their consistent displays in the recent past and will leave no stone unturned to reassert their supremacy. Whilst the green army had enjoyed a month's break in the lead up to the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are riding the crest of the wave, having bossed hosts Bangladesh across multiple formats. As their skipper, Mathews reiterated, Sri Lanka's awareness of the conditions will hold them in good stead.

Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are all geared up to battle for the title of Asia's best. Virat Kohli's whirlwind ton, Bangladesh engulfed by a sea of emotions after stealing Tendulkar's thunder(the hundredth hundred) en route to the final were the highlights of the previous edition of the Asia Cup in 2012.

Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to bat

Misbah: 'The pitch looks flat and fresh. It's good to be in good form and contribute to the team success. Last time we played it was very slow, we have the same set of players who played in UAE'.

Mathews: 'We will bat first. We have had some injuries, Kula and Dilshan are out and the rested guys are back for this match. We need to start fresh and it is important to start off on a positive note in a big tournament like this. Misbah is a great batsman and it's difficult to get him out'.

Teams:

Pakistan (Playing XI): Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Umar Akmal(w), Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Kushal Janith Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews(c), Chaturanga de Silva, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal

Pitch Conditions: 'The conditions are breezy at the moment. The wicket looks very flat, there should be plenty of runs on offer. There is some dead grass on the surface, the track might get slower as the day progresses.

Spinners might well come into play later on. Dew will play a role later on and the team winning the toss might opt to field first.'

Fatullah which is located in the southern outskirts of Dhaka is up and buzzing and so are we. Stay with us for toss and team updates. Remember both sides have their share of injury woes. Dilshan was the latest join Sri Lanka's walking wounded which includes Kula and Herath. Pakistan will miss the services of the trampolining Irfan for both the Asia Cup and the forthcoming World T20 championship.

However, they have a few points to prove, especially after enduring a win-less campaign in the 2012 version. Who will come up trumps in this opening fixture?