da pixbet： India will play their only three day match ahead of the three-matchTest series against Sri Lanka from tomorrow at the P
Rex Clementine07-Aug-2001India will play their only three day match ahead of the three-matchTest series against Sri Lanka from tomorrow at the P. Sara Stadium inColombo. Their opponents will be Sri Lanka Board XI, who’ve got sixTest cricketers in their ranks, four of whom may play in the firstTest in Galle.India’s one-day specialists have now returned to Chennai, whilst theirTest match replacements are slowly arriving in Colombo. Shiv SunderDas, Mohammed Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Sairaj Bahutule and HarvinderSingh arrived in Colombo yesterday while fast bowlers Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath and opening batsman Sadagoppan Ramesh arrived today.Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will join the tour party if his footinjury is given the all-clear after a bone scan on Friday. Zaheer Khanis suffering from shin splints, but is expected rejoin the team intime for the first Test.The Indian cricketers practiced at the Sinhalese Sports Club thismorning and will decide on the final eleven for tomorrow’s game thisevening after a team meeting. However, all the Test specialists areexpected to play.Sri Lanka meanwhile have named a strong Board side, captained byThilan Samaraweera.The national selectors have delayed naming the squad for the Testseries and they will be watching the performances of the Board XIclosely. The Sri Lanka Test squad will be selected on Thursday.Hashan Tillakaratne has an opportunity to make the Test squad aftertwo years in the wilderness, while Kumar Sangakkara needs to prove hisform. Avishka Gunawardene will open the batting and is expected to doso in the first Test.With Nuwan Zoysa injured, fast bowlers Ruchira Perera, DinushaFernando and Suresh Perera have a chance to grab the remaining fastbowler’s slot.Sri Lanka Board XI: Thilan Samaraweera (Capt), Avishka Gunawardene(Vice-Capt), Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, HashanTillakaratne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Suresh Perera, Sajeewa Weerakoon,Ruchira Perera, Dinusha Fernando.India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid (vice captain),Shiv Sunder Das, Sameer Dighe, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Md Kaif, HemangBadani, Sairaj Bahutule, Dinesh Mongia, Harvinder Singh, JavagalSrinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and RahulSanghvi.