India clearly go into this three-match Test series with the upper hand. They have a strong and established team with some genuinely world-class players. They have been playing great cricket and they present a young Sri Lankan team with a formidable challenge.

Sri Lanka have just finished a testing tour with the Zimbabweans — who from a world cricket perspective played with encouraging skill and character, showing signs they are a team on the ascendency again after some very difficult years — and India represents a far stiffer challenge.

Sri Lanka also showed character in the solitary Test match and managed to fight their way out of a very tricky corner with Asela Gunaratne playing brilliantly in that final innings. He has grown into a key player for Sri Lanka and I hope he is able to recover from the leg injury sustained in that game.

The loss of skipper Dinesh Chandimal for the first Test in Galle due to pneumonia is also a big blow. When you are in the middle of a major rebuilding phase, the last thing you need is for a couple of your most talented players to be absent.

India will be disappointed to have lost opener K.L. Rahul to a fever, but they have the advantage of strength in depth and they have good options to make up for the absence.

Sri Lanka will somehow have to try and find another gear against India. For me, the biggest challenge is going to be how to take 20 wickets. India’s top order is very much stronger with several seasoned campaigners who have a reputation for scoring big hundreds.

A lot of pressure will rest on the shoulders of Rangana Herath. Unfortunately, though, Sri Lanka cannot continue to keep relying on one man. If India’s batsmen are able to work out a way of combating him, then it will put the rest of the attack under serious pressure.

I would expect Sri Lanka to go for a 7-4 balance with the two spinners — Rangana and off-spinner Dilruwan Perera. If the pitch is really dry and likely to turn sharply, then perhaps they might even consider the third spinner option with Malinda Pushpakumara, a first-class veteran of 558 wickets, a potential debutant at the age of 30.

India’s combination is a more balanced 6-5 as they have such a strong top six and the benefit of having Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to bat at No.7 and No.8. That team balance has worked well for them in recent times.

I hope we will see some tough competitive cricket. I know the Sri Lanka boys will be working hard and desperate to put up a fight for the fans. They at least won’t be under as much pressure as they were against Zimbabwe as they will be clear underdogs. That will hopefully allow them to play positive and freely, which is always the best way for Sri Lanka.