Just when the tri-series looked to become a forgotten relic from the 1990s, the format has been revived. After years of endless bilateral series this will be welcomed by many cricket fans, but with a potential 15 games this series is undoubtedly too long and fails to cut down on the number of meaningless matches.

The variety of games will be a blessing, but when the teams play each other four times in the round robin phase the novelty is unlikely to be retained.

What the Commonwealth Bank Series therefore needs is for Sri Lanka to come to the party. Australia and India look well matched - particularly with the hosts still missing their best one-day player, Shane Watson - but to retain interest we will need all three contestants to remain in the running for a final spot. If Sri Lanka were to lose their first five games, we could have five dead rubbers before the three-series final begins.

A strong Sri Lankan showing is not completely out of the question, but they surely need to sort out their off-field issues before on-field performances can improve. On their last visit to Australia they pulled off one of the great ODI series victories against all odds. That was in November 2010, when they came back from the dead to win the first match by a solitary wicket, and carried that momentum into the second clash to clinch the series.

They should take confidence from those memories, and with Mahela Jayawardene back at the helm they not only have a wise head, as his return should also free up Tillakaratne Dilshan to play his natural game once again.

India will likewise be guided by happy memories, having won the Commonwealth Bank Series four years ago when they bounced back from a painful Test series defeat to Australia. More comfortable in the shorter forms of the game than they often are in Tests, a young Indian unit showed what they are capable of in a spirited Twenty20 victory on Friday, boosting their confidence just ahead of the tri-series.

Boasting a large squad with plenty of allrounders, India arguably have the most options at their disposal when it comes to creating a balanced side for any conditions - only an out-and-out fast bowler is missing.

Nevertheless Australia will go into the tournament as favourites thanks to their excellent one-day record, which sees them sitting top of the ICC rankings. The hosts have selected a young squad for their first three matches, but the inexperience should be more than made up for by the fact that the new faces have everything to prove.

This is particularly the case for Matthew Wade. While the Australian selectors have publicly declared that Brad Haddin is being rested, the fact that Haddin feels he's been dropped makes it pretty clear that John Inverarity and his men are eager to have a look at what Wade can do. He's off to an impressive start with a half-century in the first T20I, and to be quite frank, he doesn't need to do much to surpass Haddin's recent form.

Key Men
Australia: There's no man more destructive in world cricket right now than David Warner, and that includes Virender Sehwag. Warner seems to be in the process of taking his game to another level in all formats, and will expect to win a couple of games single-handedly over the next few weeks.

India: More than they need a fireball innings, India need stability to take them forward. Gautam Gambhir provided it in the successful run-chase during the second Twenty20 international, and just looks to be finding form at the right time for this series.

Sri Lanka: Unburdened by his resignation from the captaincy, Tillakaratne Dilshan should be in a better mindset and will enjoy the pace on offer in the Australian pitches. Expect plenty of scooping, and if he can move back to the top of the order, get some quick runs up front and take pressure off the middle order, Sri Lanka's confidence will return.

Prediction
Australia are the top-ranked side in the world but their bowling looks a little short at the moment. Expect them to reach the final, but a determined India side are worth backing for outright glory.

Online betting firm Sky Bet has India at 9/4 in the betting for outright victory in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Visit Sky Bet for the latest cricket betting.

Squads
Australia (first three games): Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ricky Ponting, Peter Forrest, Daniel Christian, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade, Brett Lee, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty, Clint McKay, Mitchell Marsh.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Rahul Sharma, Zaheer Khan.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chanaka Welegedera, Dhammika Prasad.

Fixtures
Game 1, Feb 5: Australia v India at MCG
Game 2, Feb 8: India v Sri Lanka at WACA
Game 3, Feb 10: Australia v Sri Lanka at WACA
Game 4, Feb 12: Australia v India at Adelaide
Game 5, Feb 14: India v Sri Lanka at Adelaide
Game 6, Feb 17: Australia v Sri Lanka at SCG
Game 7, Feb 19: Australia v India at Gabba
Game 8, Feb 21: India v Sri Lanka at Gabba
Game 9, Feb 24: Australia v Sri Lanka at Hobart
Game 10, Feb 26: Australia v India at SCG
Game 11, Feb 28: India v Sri Lanka at Hobart
Game 12, March 2: Australia v Sri Lanka at MCG

1st Final, March 4: TBC v TBC at Gabba
2nd Final, March 6: TBC v TBC at Adelaide
3rd Final, March 8: TBC v TBC at Adelaide (if required)