Daijiworld Media Network

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, Mar 1 : India have looked sharp and have been the team to beat so far. They have played on strips that have been bowlers' paradises. Even then, they have often found heroes - both with the bat as well as the ball. If Rohit Sharma sparkled against Bangladesh, it was the turn of Virat Kohli to turn saviour against Pakistan. While the batting has held firm, the bowlers have been more than impressive. Ashish Nehra continues to be the leader of the pack, Jasprit Bumrah, remains impressive but the emergence of Hardik Pandya should gladden Indian hearts. His all-round abilities have provided the much needed balance for MS Dhoni - allowing the skipper to play two frontline spinners, even on green tracks. Overall, India looks like a cracking unit and will be rearing for more success.

India have won the toss and have opted to field

Mathews: "The pitch might seam a little bit early on and we wanted to bowl first because of the dew factor. We are coming as the underdogs and we've got nothing to lose. We are trying to settle down as a team and hopefully we will settle down before the World Cup. We are unchanged for this game."

Dhoni: "We will bowl first. We'll have to wait and see how the pitch behaves. Probably this one has slighlty less grass. The preparation for us has been very good. It lets us get into the groove. Gives us an opportunity to try out a few things before the World T20. We have made one change. Shikhar Dhawan comes back in place of Ajinkya Rahane."

Pitch Report: "This is the same pitch where India played Pakistan. We've got a little bit of grass, but there are a few cracks as well. This is a good pitch for a T20 game," reckons Dean Jones.

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dinesh Chandimal(w), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Mathews(c), Milinda Siriwardana, Chamara Kapugedera, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Rangana Herath

India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra

From the Lankan camp, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath and coach, Graham Ford, were seen having a discussion around the pitch. Lasith Malinga is with the team physio as he's doing some warm-ups. Not sure if he will play though. I can see Malinga in the middle of a team catching session. Dean Jones, on TV, though feels that Malinga might well be ruled out of the tournament. He can't see him playing with a badly injured left knee.

Team News: Our man, Ganesh Chandrasekaran, is at the ground and he has spotted Rohit Sharma facing a few throwdowns with Ravi Shastri and the team physio, Patrick Farhart. Remember, he was struck on his boot by a searing yorker from Mohammad Amir in the match against Pakistan. Shastri has also had a little chat with his opener after the brief session. On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the Pakistan match with a slight niggle, is also wandering around - although he doesn't look comfortable.

Problems persist in the Sri Lankan camp. They might be missing their skipper, Lasith Malinga, from today's match as well. The 32-year old speedster has been hampered with a left knee injury and is said to be a doubtful starter. Adding to their woes is the poor form of experienced opener, Tillakaratne Dilshan. Stand-in skipper, Angelo Mathews, is only coming back after a lay-off himself and the rest of the team hasn't jelled well as an unit so far. The team is missing their stars, but it also gives the youngsters an opportunity to prove their potential. The World Cup is a fortnight away and time is running out for the management to find their best possible eleven.