Galle: Sri Lanka and India will face off in the first of a three-Test series at Galle on Wednesday with one eye on the ICC Test Team Rankings as both teams aim to improve their respective positions.

Fifth-ranked India knows that a 3-0 victory can propel it up the rankings table, and depending on the final outcome in the ongoing Ashes series, it could even climb to as high as third place, provided Australia defeats England at The Oval.

A 2-1 victory would see India gain three points. If seventh-placed Sri Lanka whitewashes India 3-0 then it will gain eight rankings points and could theoretically climb to fifth and India would drop to 89 points, irrespective of the outcome in the final Ashes Test. A 2-1 win for the hosts, meanwhile, would see it gain four rankings points and, thus, overtake Virat Kohli’s side.

The last time India toured Sri Lanka in 2010, the series ended in a 1-1 draw, and in that scenario Sri Lanka would gain a point, while India would remain on 97 points.

The following are the permutations for the forthcoming series:

Sri Lanka (92 pts) v India (97 pts)

·       If SL wins 3-0, then SL 100 pts, Ind 89 pts

·       If SL wins 2-1, then SL 96 pts, Ind 93 pts

·       If Ind wins 3-0, then Ind 104 pts, SL 86 pts

·       If Ind wins 2-1, then Ind 100 pts, SL 89 pts

·       If the series is drawn 1-1, then SL 93 pts, Ind 97 pts