Big picture: SL hit by injuries and illness

This has meant that the uncapped Mohamed Shiraz and Eshan Malinga have been called up to hopefully - keeping all fingers and toes crossed here - provide support for the only other fit seamer in the squad in Asitha Fernando, and the all-round stylings of Chamika Karunaratne.

The one silver lining in all this is that it might, however briefly, take their minds off the last two times these sides met in a 50-over contest, where Sri Lanka collectively scored 105 runs. In fact, across their last four ODI meetings, Sri Lanka have failed to reach triple digits on three occasions.

That said, their best course of action might be to not put too much stock in the results of these upcoming games. Their next major ODI tournament is the World Cup in 2027 - they did not make it to the 2025 Champions Trophy - so focusing on the process and looking to put in place the right foundations may be the right play for the time being.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LWLWW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
India WLWLW

In the spotlight: Pathum Nissanka and Kuldeep Yadav

Team news: Rohit, Kohli, Kuldeep return

Sri Lanka's fast-bowling contingent is in disarray, but with the wicket likely to favour spin they may opt to go in with just the two frontline seamers. Provided they want an extra spin option, Dunith Wellalage might be preferred over Chamika Karunaratne.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis, 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage/Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Mohamed Shiraz/Eshan Malinga, 11 Asitha Fernando

India's top order picks itself, but it's lower down where there may be some experimentation. With Hardik Pandya not part of the ODI series, one of Shivam Dube and Parag will fill in as a batting allrounder. If Parag gets the nod, India might have the luxury of playing three frontline seamers, meaning one of Khaleel Ahmed and the uncapped Harshit Rana could get a game.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant/KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Khaleel Ahmed/Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions: Rain in the air

If the recent Lanka Premier League is to go by, the conditions for batting might have improved in Colombo compared to recent years, but there is still a fair amount in it for the bowlers, particularly the spinners. But getting a complete game on Friday might be tricky, with pockets of heavy rain expected throughout the day.

Stats and trivia: India's dominance