The match will start at 10:30am at the Premadasa Stadium, which is staging its first Test in seven years.

For the Tigers, who have lost all three previous Tests against Sri Lanka, two by innings and the other by 288 runs, it is going to be a tough task having to do without two main bowlers Mashrafee bin Mortuza and Tapash Baisya who are ruled out due to injury.

Rasel will share the new ball with one-Test Shahadat Hossain.

Bangladesh however will pin their hopes on the strength of their batting that is bolstered with the return of Tushar Imran in the five-day contest.

The country's leading wicket-taker Mohammad Rafique will be playing his first Test against the Lankans. The slow left-armer will the potent weapon if Bangladesh are to contain the free-scoring batting line-up of Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawar-dena and Kumar Sangakkara on a track that is expected to help the spinners. Jayasuriya, just two matches shy of earning his 100th Test cap for Sri Lanka, was involved in a record 576-run stand with Roshan Mahanama at this very ground against India in 1997.

Bangladesh will go into the match with a new opening pair as Nafees Iqbal, who had opened for the last seven Tests with Javed Omar, will be replaced by left-handed Shahriar, the Bangladesh A team captain.

Skipper Habibul Bashar will bat at number three, followed by Mohammad Ashraful who scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka four years ago, Aftab Ahmed and Tushar Imran, who returns to the Test fold after three years as reward for his tremendous run with the A team in the England tour. Vice-captain and wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud will arrive before the four-bowler tail is exposed.