Sri Lanka vs India 2017: Wounded Sri Lanka poised for battle with resolute India in David v Goliath clash

Change is perpetual and painful, when not embraced with a strong and growth-oriented mindset. The Sri Lankan cricket team, hosting India for a three-match Test series, finds themselves swamped and engulfed in the above predicament. Unless they view this transition square in the face, consider it a springboard for growth and stretch their ability with a big ticker and persistence of strong fundamentals, they are in for a further shock to an already tangled system, where the existent coach, Graham Ford, has abdicated his duties.

Scratch the surface of Sri Lankan cricket: one cannot but point out the present mess to a lack of foresight to develop and groom, resulting in a side of second-string batsmen. After the retirements of their famous trio, viz, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, (who scored a combined 71,000 international runs in all formats) they have been hemmed in by a lack of experience and solidity in the batting department.

Truth be told, the vacuum to be filled as a result of such a gaping hole, given the heart is ripped out here, is never a bed of roses for any Test match team, let alone Sri Lanka. Put in that context, Sri Lanka's search to find the right personnel, and investing in them is going to be herculean and the rewards of hard labour and a grim campaign won't be too easily available on a short term basis.

One may well argue that had they envisaged their current position - bereft of batsmen - with a smidgen of foresight, their position won't be as severe. Further, as evidenced by their poor form lately in the one day format, the unease of such losses brings with it twin companions, distrust and knee jerk reactions. Band aid solutions resorted to alleviate short term inflictions don't work either.

Sri Lanka have struggled to replace these three legends of the game

That they crashed out early in the Champions Trophy in England, after a spectacular run chase versus India (the eventual finalists) and the latest embarrassing defeat in a series to Zimbabwe, must have cut them to the quick. Their misery was sorely visible and cruelly exposed after their plummeting fall to Zimbabwe.

Their nucleus has been further exacerbated by the miserable slump in form of Angelo Mathews, and Dinesh Chandimal, the originally named stand in skipper for Mathews, is unavailable as well. Rangana Herath, Lanka's portly sheikh of tweak, has stoically carried SL’s spin, after the legendary legacy left by Muralitharan. Herath is now saddled with the responsibility and it remains to be seen whether the Test strip at Galle, beginning on 27th where he ran amok against the visiting Indians in August 2015 with a seven for, could well be prepared to aid his spin.

The moot point is whether the gnawing temptation to succumb to such a thought could be resisted, for the fear of the backlash that it may automatically bring about, as the visitors boast of the red hot duo of Ashwin and Jadeja and the up and coming Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav to tease and torment Sri Lanka's young cubs. That aside, Herath's sparse returns versus India pales into utter insignificance, much like Shane Warne, as India after their debacle in Galle in the first match of the series, turned the heat on Herath. His effect was nullified by clever use of quicksilver feet and fast hands in the succeeding Tests, when India came back remarkably well to win the series in what was Sangakkara's swansong.

Can Herath draw inspiration from his spell in 2015?

In Kushal Perera and Upul Tharanga, they have a capable duo, but in bowler friendly and diabolical decks, the best become crease tied and their form could well nosedive as the pursuit of success becomes a lottery.

India, on the other hand, have been executing their overall skills in a swimmingly smooth fashion, barring the openers, whose slots lately have been vacated as a result of injuries and poor form.

Shikhar Dhawan, who last wore a Test match shirt versus the Kiwis before a finger injury plagued him, also has to address and redress his Test returns. After a huge debut versus the Aussies at home in 2013, he has flattered to deceive.

This is also a good opportunity for Abhinav Mukund from Chennai, who made a comeback versus Australia recently. These string of opportunities ought to be cashed in by him to sustain the pressure, given Vijay and Rahul are experienced and have enjoyed far greater success.

The tour will be Mukund's last chance to cement a place in the Indian side

The other Chennai lad who has grown by leaps and bounds in front of my eyes over time is Ravi Ashwin, who incidentally is playing his 50th Test. With bucketfuls of fifers and ten-fors in his illustrious career so far, he has spun a web with cunning deceit and sleight of hand. Given that he had set his standards in SL on the earlier tour in 2015, when he rested his gremlins of poor Test returns then with astounding success, he is sure to lick his lips with mouthwatering anticipation.

It all started for Virat Kohli on these Emerald Islands in 2015, when he helped the side turn the corner after an indifferent first Test at Galle. In these two years, he has matured vastly as a batsman and his success from now on, on away venues in the sub continent, will surely pave the path as heady preparation for greater challenges that await India i.e. SA, England and Australia in the next 18 months or so.

Sri Lanka are massively depleted from the turn of the millennium and their spin cupboard, barring skipper Herath, is hugely eroded. It is never easy to replace a giant (genteel assassin!) like Muralitharan, for they are legends and true match winners. But the mere mention of Murali would send shivers down the spine of many a true blue batsman, least of all me. He had my number on four out of six occasions on my Test match trip back in July 2001 under Sourav Ganguly. A lot of water has passed since, but with age and mature reflection, now in hindsight, I reckon, had I used the sweep shot back then as a left-hander, I may well have not suffered the lowly lows of my fledgling Test career. Alas!

Cricket weather and good execution permitting, I don't see Sri Lanka offering too much of a fight to these resolute bunch of Indians, who seem to have all their bases covered ever so distinctly.

The best way possible to win back the hearts of the ever expectant and eager spectators back home, lately disenchanted by a few off the field skirmishes, is to win on the field of play with the consistency of purpose and constancy of effort. Go India Go!