Dambulla: Having already qualified for Thursday’s final, both India and Sri Lanka will test each other’s nerves and reserves in an inconsequential first round Asia Cup match here Tuesday. While Kumar Sangakkara’s Lanka have a fit and fighting team, India are plagued by injuries.

With Virender Sehwag nursing a strained hamstring, the team management has flown in Dinesh Karthik but Jharkhand batsman Saurabh Tiwary will fancy his chances of making his debut.

In bowling, Ashish Nehra is said to have recovered from back spasms but it is unlikely that the left-arm seamer will play Tuesday.

In his absence, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the option of playing medium pacer Ashok Dinda, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha or Ravichandran Ashwin.

The Indians team is not ready to take Sri Lanka lightly, said Harbhajan Singh.

“It’s an important game for us. We don’t think that just because we have reached the final, the match isn’t important. Tuesday’s match is as important as the final.

If we perform well in this match, that will send a message to our opponents, that we are here to play good cricket and win,” said the star off-spinner.

He also praised the performance of the youngsters in the tournament.

TEAMS

India (from): Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Saurabh Tiwary, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin

Sri Lanka (from): Kumar Sangakarra, Muttiah Muralidharan, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Suraj Ranjiv, Thilina Kamdamby, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Parvez Maharoof, Lasith Mallinga, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Samaweera, Upul Tharanga, Chanaka Welegedara