Overview

Here it is, then - India's chance to make up for the commercial revenue lost from their cancelled stint in Pakistan and Sri Lanka's opportunity to correct their shortcomings against Bangladesh and, to an extent, Pakistan.

Key elements the hosts will want to work on are the future of their fast-bowling department and the make-up of their opening pair.

Despite Chaminda Vaas' insistence that he is in no way past his sell-by date in the limited-overs format, team management don't want the veteran seamer around at the moment, choosing rather to have Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara front the attack going forward.

With Farveez Maharoof slotting in at first change, this series presents underperformer extraordinaire Dilhara Fernando and his perennial no-ball woes yet another chance to fulfil his potential. Sri Lanka's pacemen ponderings are, of course, all subject to the dual performance of Muttiah Muralitharan - three wickets shy of becoming ODI cricket's most lucrative bowler - and Ajantha Mendis. Justified expectation has it that the spin sensations will steal the show on the quintet of dust bowls put before them, as copious amounts of one-dayer series on the sub-continent - and in particular in Sri Lanka - attest to.

While Mahela Jayawardene's lack of form and Kumar Sangakkara's current inability to convert 40s and 50s into triple-figure knocks are of temporary concern to the former world champions' cause, a worthy successor to Sanath Jayasuriya (the pending 40-year-old will surely call it quits this year, surely?) is more of a worry. Usually the chap axed when his team look to beef up their bowling, Tillakaratne Dilshan reinvented his role in the side as an opening batsman in Pakistan this past week and should again partner the sensational stalwart in the opening overs, with Upul Tharanga waiting in the squad's wings and Mahela Udawatte and Malinda Warnapura left wondering how they'll return to international reckoning in the wake of Dilshan's reinvention.

Meanwhile, the Indian set-up is a more consistent affair. A 5-0 whitewash over England, series victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and triumph in the Commonwealth Bank Series finals against the Aussies make good reading for the visitors' 2008 results and there's no reason why they won't challenge Oz and the Proteas for the number one spot in the ODI rankings in months to come.

Their batting line-up graced by three of the world's most savage hitters - Sehwag, Yuvraj and Dhoni - and their bowling attack led by arguably the planet's best opening pair - Ishant and Zaheer - Gary Kirsten's troops are a frightening prospect for any opposition, never mind a bunch of unpredictable Sri Lankans.

If a fault must be found in the Indian collective, it's the choice of Munaf Patel. Critics of the topsy-turvy speedster would have hoped the resurgence of Irfan Pathan and the return of Praveen Kumar would have resigned Patel to the international wilderness. Alas, he makes the trip to Sri Lanka, with player rotation surely his only chance of making the starting XI.

Overall, it's tough not to view the series as yet another fly-by-night string of ODIs between a couple of over-scheduled nations. However, as an innate sense of déjà vu wades through heaps of one-dayers contested between India and Sri Lanka, the five clashes will be of high entertainment value at least. Cynicism and humdrum aside, gear up for sixes aplenty and even the odd surprise or two.

Expected Match-Winners

Sri Lanka: A little over six months since he tore through them in the Asia Cup final, Ajantha Mendis remains the biggest threat to India. Despite snatching 13 more scalps in five subsequent one-dayers against the same rivals and a bucket load more in Tests, it's evident Mahendra Dhoni and company have begun to work the prolific spinner out somewhat. Whether they'll do so even more in the upcoming series remains to be seen.

India: Any one of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Dhoni would be a good bet to have an absolute cracker in Sri Lanka, but Gautam Gambhir is our ultimate bet to go big in Dambulla and Colombo. In the form of his life on the back of massive Test series against the Aussies and England in late 2008, the 27-year-old southpaw is one sizeable knock away from opening the veritable floodgates on an epic ODI career.

Probable Bench-Warmers

Sri Lanka: With Maharoof having made the all-rounder berth is own in the ODI unit, Angelo Mathews is likely to be manning the drinks trolley for the duration of the series. Bar injury in the middle-order or medium-pace ranks, the 21-year-old will have to be content with starts against the minnow teams until the selection powers-that-be decide the time is right for graduation.

India: How a youngster is supposed to squeeze into a batting-order strewn with big-name players is beyond comprehension but it's clear team management have an eye on the 2011 World Cup and at least want Ravindra Jadeja along for the ride in Sri Lanka, even if it only means getting a feel for international conditions by playing lackey to the senior stars. Virat Kohli and Mohammad Kaif, in the meantime, wonder how it is the 20-year-old usurped them.

Sri Lanka's Last Five ODI Results

2009: Third ODI: Beat Pakistan by 234 runs in Lahore
2009: Second ODI: Beat Pakistan by 129 runs in Karachi
2009: First ODI: Lost to Pakistan by 8 wickets in Karachi
2009: Third ODI: Beat Bangladesh by 2 wickets in Dhaka
2009: Second ODI: Beat Bangladesh by 5 wickets in Dhaka

India's Last Five ODI Results

2008: Fifth ODI: Beat England by 6 wickets in Cuttack
2008: Fourth ODI: Beat England by 19 runs in Bangalore
2008: Third ODI: Beat England by 16 runs in Kanpur
2008: Second ODI: Beat England by 54 runs in Indore
2008: First ODI: Beat England by 158 runs in Rajkot

Last Five Head-To-Head Results

2008: Fifth ODI: Sri Lanka won by 112 runs in Colombo
2008: Fourth ODI: India won by 46 runs in Colombo
2008: Third ODI: India won by 33 runs in Colombo
2008: Second ODI: India won by three wickets in Dambulla
2008: First ODI: Sri Lanka won by eight wickets in Dambulla

The Skippers' Say

"Of course we won the last series and they must have seen what went wrong. One of the things that really went wrong last time was the toss. A lot depends on the toss." - Mahendra Dhoni after three correct calls equalled three wins for India in last August's five-match series in Sri Lanka.

"The challenge ahead of me now is to work hard and correct whatever flaws with my batting. I sensed some improvement recently and I hope that I will return to form during the series against India." - Mahela Jayawardene, who averages a paltry nine in his last 10 ODI knocks.

Prediction

Considerably more settled at the top of their knock and that much more formidable than their opponents in the middle-order, India too enjoy a far more balanced bowling attack and will certainly justify why they sit at three in the ICC's ODI rankings and Sri Lanka languish at seven.

Squads

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Thushara, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Farveez Maharoof, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews.

India: Mahendra Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar.

Fixtures

First ODI - Dambulla, January 28
Second ODI - Colombo (RPS), January 31
Third ODI - Colombo (RPS), February 3
Fourth ODI - Colombo (RPS), February 5
Fifth ODI - Colombo (SSC), February 8

Jonhenry Wilson