India will look to wrap the five-match series when they take on a beleaguered Sri Lanka in the third one-day international. The visitors have a 2-0 lead in the series and can take the series with another win here before leaving for the last leg of the tour in Colombo.
India will look to wrap the five-match series when they take on a beleaguered Sri Lanka in the third one-day international. The visitors have a 2-0 lead in the series and can take the series with another win here before leaving for the last leg of the tour in Colombo.
India recovered from a precarious 131 for seven to record only their second win at the Pallekele International Cricket ground on Thursday. The Men in Blue haven't played much ODI cricket here, and Thursday's match was only their second at this venue, having played previously in 2012.
The big question is if skipper Virat Kohli will continue with his bold approach when it comes to team strategy, if not team selection. Ahead of the second ODI, he had outlined the need to give ample opportunity to the youngsters in the side, particularly the bowlers. As such, it is only to be expected that Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal will continue to be front-line spinners then. However, the complication in the 231-run chase in the second ODI occurred due to a shuffle in the batting order.
After a great start, Kohli sent in KL Rahul and Kedar Jadhav ahead at number 3 and 4 respectively. The mini-experiment failed spectacularly, mostly because they couldn't read Akila Dananjay's googlies properly. Jadhav's impulsive shot making during a three-ball stay also didn't go unnoticed. Again then, it is a wonder if Kohli will experiment again on Saunday. The Indian skipper might just revert to the original batting order and close out the series before ringing any changes in the last two ODIs in Colombo. In doing so though, he will be departing from his claims of 'making unpredictable changes despite facing defeat'.
All said and done, India's collapse on Thursday has brought this additional (but welcome) interesting twist to the equation here. There is also the toss factor. Kohli won his fifth consecutive toss on this tour, and predictably chose to chase again. With Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan putting on a century stand, in a way, it was the catalyst for the shuffle in batting-order, as the Indian skipper probably didn't want a second game without action in the middle for Rahul and others.
As concerns changes to the playing combination, Hardik Pandya is in focus. In the lead-up to the second ODI, the all-rounder wore a light strap on his left knee, though the team management assured his full fitness. Later in the game, he pulled up with issues on the same left leg. Pandya's availability for the third ODI then remains a question mark at best. Kuldeep Yadav or Shardul Thakur could come into the reckoning as the fifth bowler, unluckily again for Manish Pandey as India will need someone to bowl Pandya's 10 overs.
While India could yet field an unchanged combination, there are bound to be further changes for the Sri Lankan playing eleven. Upul Tharanga has been handed a two-match suspension for slow over-rate for the second time since the Champions Trophy in June, and he will sit out the next two ODIs. It could be a blessing in disguise as the skipper was suffering from a poor run of form. Chamara Kapugedara will captain the side.
Teams
India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.
Sri Lanka: Chamara Kapugedara (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanna, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana, Malinda Pushpakumara, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lasith Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Upul Tharanga (for fifth ODI).
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