India must be wary of Lanka's spinners

India begins the New Year with some limited overs action, as they embark on a tour of Sri Lanka for one- day and T20 cricket.

Sri Lanka have been playing quite a few one-day games of late, with a series in Bangladesh as well as a three-game tour of Pakistan, so their one-day team will have the benefit of winning in subcontinent conditions before the series against India.

The Sri Lankans have always been a very competitive outfit in one-day cricket, and their unorthodoxy in the spin department with Murali and Mendis gives them an edge over most teams in world cricket.

The spin duo will be a threat for India in the upcoming series, and will be called in to bowl quite early to counter India's stroke makers.

Yuvraj Singh and other batsmen have struggled against spin early on in their innings in the past, and skipper Jayawardene will look to keep them quiet before they get well set.

Their batsmen seem to be in good form too, as Dilshan's century in the last game against Pakistan, and consistent knocks from Sangakkara and Jayawardene recently will testify, so India will have their work cut out.

M.S. Dhoni and his men had a tremendous run in 2008, and are coming off a 5-0 domination over England in the last one-day series.

They are now a confident side of world beaters, and Sri Lanka cannot take them lightly, even though the men in blue are coming off a bit of a break. Harbhajan Singh's absence from this tour, will present an opportunity for young spinners like Ojha and Ravindra Jadeja, and they will be keen as mustard to make an impression.

With competition hotting up in Indian cricket, opportunities may be limited, and it's absolutely vital that youngsters grab every chance that comes their way with both hands.

India don't seem to have too many problems with their batting, and with Tendulkar coming into the playing XI, along with the likes of Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj, the Lankan skipper will have a fair bit on his plate.

-Professional Management Group