In the midst of the ongoing tension between cricket and politics, India will need a stable middle order and a fit Abhishek Sharma to maintain dominance over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup match here on Sunday.
A temporary period of calm has arrived after Pakistan reversed its boycott stance and agreed to play against India at the Premadasa Stadium.
This followed weeks of intense negotiations involving the International Cricket Council, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Essentially, South Asia has come together to make this match happen, if the weather permits, due to its ability to attract millions of fans.
Therefore, the events that started with the BCCI's decision to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders have come to a halt, for now.
On their part, the players from both teams have also tried to downplay the hype, calling this match just another game on the calendar.
It is hard to fathom their exact thoughts, but both sides certainly do not want the result to go against them due to the potential for negativity.
To achieve this, they will have to focus on the more controllable factors.
Will Abhishek and Kuldeep play?
For India, the concerns begin with Abhishek, who had to miss the match against Namibia due to a stomach bug.
If he is not available, India have the option of sticking with Sanju Samson or bringing in Washington Sundar to open with Ishan Kishan.
Washington can also provide an off-spin option on the slow and difficult pitch at the Premadasa Stadium.
The nature of the pitch here might also prompt the management to bring in left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
However, including Kuldeep will require sacrificing a batter, and the unfortunate one to be left out could be Rinku Singh.
Bringing in Kuldeep is also a very enticing option because of his ability to bowl against Babar Azam, and he had a fine performance with 4 for 30 in the Asia Cup final at Dubai – his last outing against the rivals.
Middle-order instability
During the World Cup, India's batting lineup resembled a bulldozer, crushing everything in its path.
However, the two matches in the tournament so far have revealed a mild concern – a tendency to lose wickets in clusters.
India lost 77 for 6 against the USA in Mumbai, while the home team lost 5 for 4 against Namibia in the final overs, but this impact was masked by a total of over 200 and a victory of 93 runs against New Delhi.
On both those occasions, India were supported by captain Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Hardik Pandya.
However, a collective effort is needed to win a tournament like this, rather than repeatedly relying on individual brilliance.
With four points already secured, the management would not be overly concerned, but they certainly would not want another display of profligacy, as Pakistan has the capacity to exploit it.
The Pakistani threat
Keeping up with the hybrid model from last year, Pakistan has been stationed in Colombo, giving them a better understanding of the pitch and conditions here.
The RPICS pitch is a speed-sucker, and the 2009 champions have five capable spinners in their ranks – Usman Tariq, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz.
Tariq's side-arm action has already become a topic of discussion, and battling the versatile Indian batters would be an interesting aspect of the match.
Pakistan's batters, led by Sahibzada Farhan, who seemed to have gotten a grip on Jasprit Bumrah during last year's Asia Cup, Ayub, and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, can pack a punch on their day.
Without disrespecting the Netherlands and the USA, they are yet to be tested by a quality bowling unit, and India possesses one.
From Bumrah to Varun Chakravarthy, India have proven match-winners, and even pace all-rounder Shivam Dube has improved significantly as a bowler in recent times.
This gives the defending champions immense flexibility in deciding their combinations.
However, all these calculations aside, this match is all about finding the mental equilibrium and rising above the various pressures – both internal and external.
Chance of rain?
The Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology has cautioned of a developing low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which could potentially lead to up to 70 per cent chance of rain in the Khettarama area on Sunday evening.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
The match starts at 7 pm IST.