Indian Cricket. (Source – BCCI)
India and Sri Lanka square off in the third ODI on Wednesday, August 7, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The series is tanatalisingly poised, with Sri Lanka having a 1-0 lead.
Charith Asalanka and Co. are on the brink of creating history as they can become the first Sri Lankan side to beat India in a bilateral ODI series since 1997. The first match ended in a tie after India lost two wickets off consecutive deliveries to get bowled out with 13 ballls to spare. Meanwhile, in the second game, Sri Lanka emerged victorious by 32 runs as they successfully defended a 241-run target.
Rohit Sharma has been unlucky at the toss and would hope that the rub of the green goes his way on Wednesday. The pitch gets quite difficult for batting, especially in the latter half of the second innings. The Men in Blue would want to win the final ODI and extend their winning streak against Sri Lanka.
Also Read: Sri Lanka vs India Match Preview, 3rd ODI
Here’s India’s predicted XI for the 3rd ODI against Sri Lanka
Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. (Source – Twitter/X)
Rohit Sharma has been the best batter on show this series. In the first game, he scored a 47-ball 58 and followed it up with a 44-ball 64 in the second. Rohit has given India some excellent starts but the troubles have started after his dismissal. The Indian captain might want to mix caution with aggression and bat deeper into the innings as the other batters have looked all at sea against the Sri Lanka tweakers.
Shubman Gill has got off to starts in both games but failed to convert them into substantial scores. With Rohit going hammer and tongs, it seems that the Punjab batter has been given the anchor’s role. However, he has been dismissed in both games while trying to play extravangant shots.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK)
Virat Kohli. (Source – BCCI)
Virat Kohli played a sensational knock in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. However, on either side of that match, the former India skipper’s performances have left a lot to be desired. Kohli has been dismissed LBW in both games to leg-spinners. After scoring just 38 runs from the first two games, the Delhi batter would want to stamp his authority on Wednesday.
Shreyas Iyer has done well for India at No. 4 in the past but the team management has preferred Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube in the first couple of games, respectively, for that position. Iyer is one of the most capable batters against spin-bowling and his performance will be crucial in the highly-anticipated third ODI.
KL Rahul played a decent knock of 31 in the first game and almost took India to victory. However, in the second ODI, the wicketkeeper-batter got out for a duck while playing an uncharacteristic shot against a rampaging Jeffrey Vandersay. Rahul will want to bounce in the third ODI.
All-rounders: Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel
Axar Patel. (Source – Getty Images)
Axar Patel has improved substantially with the bat and his bowling is as threatening as ever. He scored a run-a-ball 44 from no. 5 in the last game when the more established batters were falling from the other end. With the ball, Axar has three wickets from two games at 23.67.
Riyan Parag could come into the playing XI in place of Shivam Dube. The conditions favour spinners and Parag being a spin-bowling all-rounder could add more depth to the bowling attack. He is also a fine batter who can take the attack to the spinners and score quick runs to bring the momentum in favour of India.
Washington Sundar hasn’t gotten too many chances to showcase his skills with the bat so far in his international career. In the first game, he was promoted to No. 4 but he couldn’t make the most of the opportunity. He was demoted to No. 8 in the last game and he played a fighting knock of 15 off 40 balls in tough batting conditions.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
Kuldeep Yadav. (Photo Source: Getty Images)
Kuldeep has taken three wickets in two games at an average of 22. He is usually the wrecker-in-chief through the middle overs but that hasn’t been the case so far. In favourable conditions, Kuldeep has proven to be economical, conceding just 66 runs from 20 overs. However, Rohit will want his wrist spinner to produce a lethal performance on Wednesday.
Mohammed Siraj has produced some of his best performances in international cricket against Sri Lanka. However, so far in this series, he has bowled well without much luck. Siraj wreaked havoc in the Asia Cup final last year at this same venue against Sri Lanka. He would want to repeat his heroics against the Island Nation once again.
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Arshdeep Singh has picked up two wickets in as many games and conceded runs at 6.18 per over, which is quite high considering the tricky batting pitches on offer. However, his ability to bowl yorkers at the death overs makes him a vital cog in Rohit’s lineup.
India’s predicted playing XI for the third ODI against Sri Lanka:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
