Visakhapatnam: An imposing line-up and a very good record (India have won five of the six ODIs they have played here) in this port city make India the clear favourites as they seek to clinch another series win against Sri Lanka when the two sides face-off in the third ODI here Sunday.
It should also be mentioned here that 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.
This game will be crucial for both Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik if they find a place in the final XI. In their last four innings Pandey and Karthik have scored 82 and 105 runs respectively and hence will be under the scanner. With Shreyas Iyer staking a claim in the middle-order with a fine innings of 88 at Mohali, the onus is on Pandey and Karthik to replicate. Iyer was promoted to No.3 in the absence of Kohli… once the Indian captain returns, the Mumbaikar will certainly be a contender for the No. 4 spot.
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. Rohit 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 here.
Defeat in Dharamsala meant India can’t overtake South Africa in the ICC ODI rankings but a series win is at stake. Rohit & Co will look to maintain supremacy over the visiting Lankans, having won the Test series earlier.
The bowlers have looked the part so far and will aim to continue the good work on what is likely to be a sporting wicket. It has a dry look and may turn out to be a slow turner as the game progresses. With this being a proper night game (no early starts as it happened in Dharamsala and Mohali), the dew factor will also have to be taken into consideration.
The visitors, 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 during which they won only five of the 27 ODIs, they played.
Upul Tharanga, among the more experienced batsmen in the line-up, needs to step up and make a bigger contribution to the team’s cause. The other batters including Lahiru Thirimanne, Danusha Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella, have been inconsistent and will have to find ways to make sizeable scores if they are to make a dent in India’s fortress.
Press Trust of India
