There will be no let-up in intensity but a few new faces are expected to find a place in the playing XI as India take on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I of the series. Under the leadership of new coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, the tourists would be aiming for nothing less than a 3-0 victory, although the outcome of the match remains inconsequential as far as the fate of the series is concerned. Will Gambhir and Surya beckon some of the stars from the bench in the final match of the series? It seems so.
India secured a seven-wicket victory on Sunday in a rain-shortened match in the second T20I, frustrating Sri Lanka’s attack once again.
Despite the hosts’ excellent start, the fight failed for the second game in a row due to below-average batting.
On the same day, the Sri Lanka women’s team defeated tournament favorites India in the final for their first Women’s T20 Asian Cup title in Dambulla, but it appeared to have no impact on the men’s team, who continued to deal with existing problems.
Sri Lanka’s embarrassing batting collapses in the middle overs are the main reason for their undoing in this series so far, while India go about their business like a true world champion team.
India proved to be the superior side by a significant margin, demonstrating greater confidence in its plans, skills and execution, and never wavering under pressure.
There were times when Sri Lanka seemed to be running away from the competition, but each time India found their way back, especially with their incisive bowling, to maintain their advantage.
‘Captain of the bowlers’ Suryakumar has not only organized his troops with precision to make effective bowling changes, but has also looked to lead from the front, with the bat scoring 58 and 26 in the two matches so far.
India remained aggressive from the start to reap huge benefits, putting up a score of over 200 at the opening.
In the second game, a slight change in the batting line-up provided a seven-wicket victory that helped them seal the series.
It is not yet known whether vice-captain and opener Shubman Gill is fit for this contest after missing the second game due to a sprained neck.
His replacement, Sanju Samson had to wait over an hour to face his first ball due to rain and when the chance came, the right-hander missed one from Maheesh Theekshana for a golden duck.
Samson and India will be looking for better performances from the batsman, who has been part of the T20I squad for some time now, including playing as a non-playing member of the World Cup-winning squad.
But on the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal looked to give his all in his attacking game to score 70 runs in two matches and continues to be one of the biggest threats for the Lankans.
For the hosts, Pathum Nissanka (111 runs) and Kusal Perera (73) provided the fireworks at the top but Sri Lanka’s struggles in midfield led to their downfall.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who helped secure victory in the second game with 3/26, highlighted the inability of Sri Lankan batsmen to navigate spin bowling in the series.
“They play spin very well but I don’t know what happened, they are collapsing in the middle of the game,” Bishnoi said after the second T20I.
“They are known as a good batting team but I think something went wrong,” Bishnoi said, possibly hinting at a lack of skills and aptitude among Sri Lankan bowlers in general, which has led to their struggles across formats.
With the ball, Matheesha Pathirana returned an expensive 4/40 in the opening game, but Sri Lanka will want much more from their bowlers.
Predicted India XI vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant/Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed
With PTI inputs
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