India vs Sri Lanka 2021: 6 things to watch out for

With just a day to go until India's much-awaited white ball tour of Sri Lanka commences, it's time to take a look at the major talking points ahead of the series. With both sides fielding inexperienced but exciting talent, it promises to be a fun and exciting clash. Let's see what's in store!

#1 Runs for India's new guns

While there are incredible bowlers in the new-look Team India, much of the pre-series hype has revolved around the promising batsmen the Men in Blue might field against the hosts.

Can Prithvi Shaw repeat the incredible form he showcased in the IPL and Vijay Hazare Trophy, and rack up runs in an Indian kit? Can Suryakumar Yadav, who's likely to feature in the T20 World Cup later this year, show his class? The two impressive openers, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, might also make their debuts. How will they fare? Can hard-hitting wicketkeepers Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson stake claims in the national side for future assignments? And what about Nitish Rana, who for years has been a mighty force for the Kolkata Knight Riders?

Each of these batsmen has a strong chance of making the team for at least one match on this tour, and there will be high hopes from them should they walk out to the crease.

#2 The Sri Lankan bowling attack

Sri Lanka have gone through a torrid time in international cricket of late, having lost 13 of their last 15 limited-overs matches. But their bowling hasn't been to blame for this. Some of Sri Lanka's bowlers have been quite impressive in recent months, particularly Wanindu Hasaranga, the wrist-spinning all-rounder, and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.

Young left-arm pacer Binura Fernando, who will be available for the T20Is, has made a good start to his career. The hosts will also be buoyed by the return of Lahiru Kumara, who will be eager to improve his current white ball numbers.

The spin-bowling duo of Akila Dananjaya — who was deadly in the 2017 home series against India — and Lakshan Sandakan will further add to Sri Lanka's arsenal of weapons to unleash against the visitors. Factor in the likes of Isuru Udana as well as the many uncapped but talented bowlers, and India could be made to work hard for their runs.

#3 The Dhawan-Bhuvi captaincy combo

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are both preparing for the Test series in England. Consequently, the captaincy for this tour has been handed to Shikhar Dhawan, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar appointed vice captain.

While both men have taken turns at leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL squad, it will be their first time featuring in such a role for India. Their job won't be overly difficult given the talent at their disposal. However, proper utilization of these resources will be key to beating a Sri Lankan side hungry to win matches at home. The sublime southpaw opener and swing sensation have never been the type to back down from a challenge though, and this series will be a good test of their mettle.

#4 Batting redemption for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's poor batting performances in recent times have seen them lose many white ball matches. And now that they're without Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella, beating India at home won't be an easy task. New and untested batsmen will have to come in and plug holes in the lineup. A significant chunk of the responsibility will rest on the shoulders of those with a decent number of matches under their belt, such as Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Dasun Shanaka.

But the Indian bowling lineup won't be without new faces. While the visitors will have some successful, celebrated names in their ranks, they will also have Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya and Krishnappa Gowtham, all of whom are yet to play an international match.

Mumbai Indians teammates Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya are relatively new to the international stage, while Deepak Chahar is featuring for India after over seven months. On top of that, Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini have not been in good form for quite a while. Might Sri Lanka's new batting lineup sniff a chance?

There are several young batsmen in the host squad, such as Avishka Fernando and Pathum Nissanka. Then there are potential debutants like the swashbuckling Lahiru Udara, who could be eyeing this series as a great opportunity to score runs. Sri Lanka may have enough in their batting reserves to stun India, but it will require some very smart cricket.

#5 The return of all-rounder Hardik Pandya?

Although Hardik Pandya bowled very well in the T20Is against England earlier this year, he hasn't been a regular in international cricket for quite some time. He didn't bowl in the IPL either.

But according to Suryakumar Yadav, the fact that India's explosive all-rounder has bowled during the leadup to the start of this series is a very good sign. Speaking during the buildup to the series, Yadav said:

"He did bowl in the England series [at home earlier this year]. I was part of it - in all the T20 games, he bowled," Yadav said ahead of the series. "In the decider ODI also he bowled when the team was in a crunch situation, so it was good...But yes, he is bowling and it is a very good sign."

While there's no guarantee that Hardik will bowl, there's a good chance that he might. He has stated that he wants to be ready to bowl when needed in the T20 World Cup, which starts in October.

This is, of course, in addition to his batting, which has been exemplary for a while now. Though he was lukewarm in the IPL this year, Hardik has averaged 62 in ODIs since India resumed playing international cricket late last year. And he has noticeably changed his approach to batting in a good way. The runs have also come at an amazing strike rate of 123. In T20Is, too, he's been at his aggressive best of late, and this form should hold him in good stead against Sri Lanka. Is a maiden ODI century on the cards for Hardik, the revamped batsman?

#6 Rahul Dravid - From "wall" to "coach"

Many Indian fans expressed their glee online when Rahul Dravid was announced as head coach of Team India for this tour. The legendary batsman, who has previously coached the India A and India Under-19 teams, has been a crowd favorite to become the next head coach for India after Ravi Shastri.

Whether or not Dravid ends up becoming Shastri's successor remains to be seen. However, several members of the Indian team expressed how keen they were to learn from and play under the former cricketer, including Devdutt Padikkal. Dravid certainly has a lot to offer as a coach, as the performances of the Under-19 team in the last few World Cups can attest.