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Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes this home series offers the Lankan Lions their best shot at beating India in Tests, and veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal will be central to that effort.

Speaking as an expert on Sony Sports Network for the two-Test series starting August 15, Maharoof stressed that Sri Lanka must shed their inconsistency, especially after soft dismissals cost them the Antigua Test against West Indies. With Angelo Mathews absent, he wants the top order to show more fight and grit.

For captain Dhananjaya de Silva, Maharoof said, this is a golden opportunity to enter the record books by toppling a visiting Indian side that arrives with its own doubts after a home loss to South Africa.

Chandimal, who averages 50 against India in eight Tests and famously scored a match-winning 162 at Galle in 2015, will bat at number three. Maharoof recalled that knock against Ashwin and Mishra as a happy memory, but warned that concentration in humid conditions will test every batter. “He knows what it takes,” Maharoof added. “He’s going to be an important cog in the wheel.”

India, led by Shubman Gill, sit fifth in the WTC standings; Sri Lanka are sixth. Both squads are eager to climb the table in this crucial series.