VISAKHAPATNAM: An imposing line-up and an impeccable record
in this port city make India the clear favourites as they seek to clinch
another series win against Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI here on
Sunday.
India have not lost a series at home since the defeat to South Africa in October 2015.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are seeking to win their first-ever bilateral series in India, having lost eight and drawn one.
Skipper
Rohit Sharma led the fightback for India in Mohali with a superb double
century, his third in ODIs after the team had been outplayed in the
series opener in Dharamsala.
Sharma and his men will look
to ride the momentum after a big win in the second game and seal the
series at the ACA-VDCA stadium.
The Indian team have lost
only once at the venue in the seven games played here (with one being
washed out) and will hope to keep winning on what has generally been a
high-scoring ground.
Defeat in Dharamsala meant India
can’t overtake South Africa in the ODI rankings but a series win is at
stake. Rohit’s men will look to maintain supremacy over the visiting
Lankans, having won the Test series earlier.
Hosts remain favourites
The India captain will look to continue the good work and
domination of the Lankan attack while the other batsmen will also hope
to be among runs. After being shot out for 112 in Dharamsala, the host
batting line-up regained its mojo as Rohit led from the front.
The
importance of bowling well in the first 10 overs can’t be
overemphasised and the lead bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah
would be well aware of this as would Lanka’s spearhead Suranga Lakmal.
Sri
Lanka, buoyed by news about the availability of ace all-rounder Angelo
Mathews for the crucial game, will be give it their all to snatch a
much-needed series win, in what has been a tough year for them.
Mathews
scored a ton, albeit in a losing cause in Mohali and will be the
lynchpin of the batting unit, which is short on experience, as the squad
aims to secure a rare series win in India.
The Lankans
were brought crashing down to earth after a good win at Dharamsala as
Rohit went on the rampage and their batsmen capitulated under the
pressure of chasing a mammoth score.
Mathews’ return to
form must be heartening news for them as is the fact that he is bowling
some overs, and with a degree of success too.
Upul
Tharanga needs to step up and make a bigger contribution. The other
batters including Lahiru Thirimanne, Danusha Gunathilaka and Niroshan
Dickwella, have been inconsistent and will have to find ways to make
sizeable scores.
The bowlers, on the other hand, will
look to recover quickly from the horror show as Rohit turned on the
heat. Nuwan Pradeep, who was taken for 106 in 10 overs, will look for
redemption if he retains his place in the XI while Suranga Lakmal holds
the key for Sri Lanka.
Teams (from):
INDIA:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik,
Manish Pandey, M S Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, M S Washington
Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep
Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel, Siddarth Kaul
SRI LANKA:
Thisara Perera (captain), Upul Tharanga, Danusha Gunathilaka, Lahiru
Thirimanne, Asela Gunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan Dickwella
(wicket-keeper), Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Matthews, Sachith
Pathirana, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Akila Dhanajaya, Chathuranga
de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Kusal Perera.
