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Mumbai: Sri Lanka, eyeing its first Test win in India, will be hoping to get its combination right when they take on Board President's XI in a three-day practice match on Wednesday ahead of the three-match Test series against India.
However, unseasonal rain is threatening to play spoilsport to Sri Lanka's plan as the match starting, on Wednesday, is the lone practice outing for the visitors before the first Test begins in Ahmedabad on November 16.
The practice match also provides Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara an opportunity to test his relatively inexperience side, which boasts of only five players in the captain himself, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera having played in the country before.
And the game is the only opportunity for Sangakkara to have a look at all the players before he shortlists the first 12 for the opening Test.
Sri Lanka's batting order looks settled with the ranks of Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Samarweera and Dilshan up its rank. It will be further bolstered by the presence of middle-order batsman Thilina Kandamby, who is likely to make his debut in Ahmedabad, and all-rounder Angelo Mathhews.
It is, however, his bowling line up which Sangakkara would like it fix up in the practice game.
The visitors will be hoping to figure out their spin department which has three quality tweakers in Muralitharan, mystery man Ajantha Mendis and Ragana Herath.
While Muralitharan is certain, it will be a toss up between Mendis, who demolished the famed Indian batting line up in Sri Lanka, and Herath, who outperformed both Murali and Mendis in the series against Pakistan and New Zealand.
India discard Rohit Sharma-led Board President's XI, on the other hand, has little to play for as the Indian team for the first two Tests has already been announced on Tuesday.
However, the factor which will be in the fringe players' mind during the match, is a good performance here will help their cause for a claim in the ODI team against the Lankans.
While skipper Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Abhinav Mukund, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Abhishek Nayar and Wriddhiman Saha will hold the key with the bat, Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Pradeep Sangwan, and Ashok Dinda will spearhead the bowling department.
