Kumar Sangakkara, playing his penultimate test match, was back in the side after missing the final test against Pakistan last month and replaced Upul Tharanga in the side.
The hosts, who lost the series against Pakistan 2-1, included an extra spinner in Rangana Herath for the match.
India captain Virat Kohli, leading the side for the first time in a full series, went in with five bowlers which meant leg-spinner Amit Mishra will be playing his first test since August, 2011.
Kohli said he would have batted first as well.
"Looks like a pretty hard wicket, surprisingly because it's been under covers for two days," the 26-year-old Kohli said.
"We want some of the lower order batsmen to take up more responsibility and the top six obviously to get the bulk of the runs.
"If you are one bowler short in a test match you always are sort of lagging behind. The whole idea is to take 20 wickets and that's how you win a test match."
Sri Kanka: Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Jehan Mubarak, Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Tharindu Kaushal
India: Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron
(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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