India won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in a crucial encounter of the one-day triangular series at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium here Wednesday.

India made three changes from the XI that beat the West Indies Sunday, while Sri Lanka effected a solitary change from the side that thrashed the West Indies here Tuesday.

Along with Sourav Ganguly, who returned to the XI after serving out the four-match ban, V.V.S. Laxman, who will play his first match of the tournament, and pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji returned to the team. Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Y. Venugopal Rao went out.

In the Sri Lankan XI, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was replaced by pacer Pradeep Jayadharana, a late replacement in the XV for an indisposed Nuwan Zoysa.

India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket keeper), Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra and Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-captain), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, T.M. Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Dilhara Fernando, Pradeep Jayaprakash Daran and Fervez Maharoof.

Umpires: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka) and Daryl Harper (Australia)
Third umpire: Asoka De Silva (Sri Lanka)
Match referee: Mike Proctor (South Africa)