SL vs IND: 1st ODI Preview – Rohit, Virat back in action after World Cup glory

Sri Lanka and India cross swords in the first ODI of the three-match series at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 02. The island nation will look to bounce back from the whitewash in the recently concluded T20I series. The strong Indian side will have their senior players join the squad for the 50-over format. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be seen in action for the first time after their T20I retirement.

The visitors last featured in an ODI game back in 2023 against South Africa and won the series by a 2-1 margin. Meanwhile, the Lankan side was part of a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in March. For India, the side hasn’t played a single ODI game as they were occupied with back-to-back T20I assignments.

On the other hand, the island nation has been part of three ODI series and won two out of the three played. Both sides have some changes in the squad and management and it will be interesting to see a thrilling contest between the two. New Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir will be gearing up for his first ODI assignment with Rohit and Sri Lanka will be playing for their pride after the recent series lost.

Pitch Report

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo offers a pitch that favors batters early on. Its dry nature allows for high scoring in the initial stages of the match. However, as the game progresses and the ball wears, spinners begin to find more success. For the upcoming first ODI, choosing to bat first and aiming for a substantial score could be a strategic advantage at this venue.

Probable XI

Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (C), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Akila Dananjaya, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana.