IND vs SL: 3rd ODI Preview – India eye whitewash against gritty Lankans
India and Sri Lanka will be locking horns in the third and final One Day International at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15. This is a dead-rubber contest with India already having sealed the series.
However, this inconsequential clash does hold a prime weightage for both sides. While India look to complete a whitewash, the Lankans will be looking forward to salvaging pride by coming out on top this time around.
While the Men in Blue have showcased clinical performances throughout this series, they still need to improve a lot in both the bowling and batting departments. The Indian bowlers failed to take 10 wickets in the series opener, the top-order failed to click in the last game and it was courtesy of KL Rahul’s vital half-century that the hosts eventually succeeded in getting over the line.
The Sri Lankans, on the other hand, will need to play out of their skins in order to avoid a humiliating whitewash. Apart from inconsistent batting and sporadic bowling performances, lacklustre fielding has also not helped in the visitors’ cause. They would now be eager to put their best foot forward in order to sign off with a win.
Pitch and Conditions
The surface at Thiruvananthapuram is not a good one for the batters and the last T20I encounter here, between India and South Africa, proved that it was a bowlers’ paradise. The pacers will get swing movement initially after which the spinners are expected to make merry. With dew expected later on, teams will prefer chasing on this ground.
Venue details: Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
Last ODI at the venue: WI: 104 in 31.5 overs|IND: 105/1 in 14.5 overs.
Here’s the probable playing XI for India vs Sri Lanka clash:
India
All eyes will be on wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s fitness. With the series in their pocket, India may want to experiment with their side.
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will most likely field an unchanged XI as they also do not have too much depth in their squad with some of their key players ruled out due to injuries.
Nuwanindu Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalaka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
