Follow UsIndia began their Gautam Gambhir era in the perfect manner, clinching the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka 2-0, with a game to go. After a 43-run win in the first T20I, the Men in Blue won a rain-truncated second fixture by seven wickets.
Playing the third match on the fourth day of the tour, India would be eyeing a 3-0 clean sweep. The toss was delayed by more than an hour in the third T20I due to inclement weather. However, no overs were lost.
As was the trend in the first two matches, the captain who won the toss opted to bowl first. The coin landed in Charith Asalanka's favor this time who put India in to bat.
Win record at the venue
Batting 1st: 14
Batting 2nd: 10
Here’s what the two captains said at the toss
Charith Asalanka: We are good to bat first. We have one change: Ramesh Mendis comes in for Dilshan Madhushanka. The first three batters really well and the only concern is the line of the bowlers. It is a used pitch and hopefully, spin will come into play in the later part.
Suryakumar Yadav: With the weather around, we would've liked to chase as well. It becomes difficult for the bowling team to control the ball later. We have four guys resting — Hardik, Axar, Rishabh, and Arshdeep. We spoke about the brand of cricket we want to play, and it's about topping it up every game and being the best version of ourselves.
Any changes? What’s the playing XI?
As stated by Surya, India have made four changes, giving chances to the players who were benched in the first two games. Consequently, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed and Washington Sundar come in the XI. Shubman Gill missed the second T20I due to a neck spasm and he is also back to open the innings. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson is listed to bat at number four.
India’s XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav ( c ), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed
Sri Lanka have made one change. Chamindu Wickramasinghe will make his international debut, replacing Dasun Shanaka in the XI.
Sri Lanka's XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka ( c ), Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando
Pitch report
Russel Arnold - “Strong wind blowing across should blow away the concerning clouds but there could be intermittent showers. We're on a new pitch, right next to the one used in the last two games. This is drier, the cracks are evident so it is going to turn. Slower balls are going to be effective. There's dew, the ball will come back wet and slide. You are certainly wanting to chase. The pitch should hold up 160-170 is the total you're looking for. The slower you bowl, the harder it will be for strokeplay. Dew is going to make it very hard to grip the ball.”
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