IND vs SL: 1st ODI Preview – India begin their World Cup preparations
India and Sri Lanka are all set to lock horns in the first ODI of the three-match series starting January 10, Tuesday, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. India is backed with a magnificent 2-1 victory in the T20I series, and the Men in Blue will be hoping to continue their winning form. The visitors, on the other hand, would aim to recover from the T20I loss and focus on winning the ODI series.
This will be the first time since July 2021 that India and Sri Lanka face each other off in an ODI match. The last time they met was when a second-string Indian side toured the Island nation. India won the series 2-1 back then when Shikhar Dhawan led the team. Quite a few players from that squad will be a part of the upcoming series too.
India’s last ODI outing was against Bangladesh. They lost the series 2-1 but won the final game of the series after Ishan Kishan hit the fastest-ever double century and Virat Kohli notched up his 72nd international ton. The Indian side would be aiming to repeat some similar heroics. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, last faced Afghanistan in November as their series ended in a 1-1 draw.
The two sides have faced each other 162 times in the ODIs. It is India who have an upper hand over Sri Lanka, with 93 victories while the Lankans have won 57 time. While one of their games was tied, 11 have ended in no result.
Pitch and conditions
Both batters and bowlers will benefit equally from the pitch at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The spinners will gain from the game because the track has the tendency to behave slowly. Since the venue has previously witnessed some big scores being hit in ODIs, a score of around 350 can be a winning one.
Venue details: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, Assam.
Last ODI match at the venue: WI: 322/8 in 50 overs | IND: 326/2 in 42.1 overs.
Here’s the probable playing XI for India vs Sri Lanka clash:
India:
Team India won’t have the services of their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as he was ruled out a day before the first game. But senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami returning for the games will be a plus for the hosts.
Sri Lanka:
The visitors have a formidable lineup too. They won one T20I game against India, and came very close to winning the first T20I fixture as well, losing it by mere two runs. Just like the T20I series, the Lankans are expected to be in great touch in the ODIs as well.
