Sri Lanka, on both occasions in the first two One-day International games, didn’t start on a healthy note, as they not only struggled to score runs but also lost early wickets. Before the third and final SL vs Ind 50-over game of the series, they will look to make improvements in the powerplay by scoring more runs.
The bowling of the Indian team in the middle overs (11-40) has been decent in the last year, since August 2023, where they have been able to pick up wickets and didn’t allow the opponent batters to score runs freely. However, most games occurred at home during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
In 27 innings, the Rohit Sharma-led side has given away 3318 runs in the middle overs before the SL vs Ind third game in 2024. The bowling average of under 27 and a strike rate of 33.12 is quite standard, as both Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have done a phenomenal job on most occasions.
India has recorded 125 wickets in those 27 innings at an economy rate of under five, besides being smacked for 258 boundaries and 73 sixes. In this series, they have done well thanks to Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep, but all of them have been outplayed by the opponent spinners.
On the flip of the coin, Sri Lanka has picked up 183 wickets in 35 innings during this period before the SL vs Ind final ODI of the 2024 series. They have gone for 4994 runs, at an average of 27.29 and a strike rate of 30.30.
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The Charith Asalanka-led side has also been whacked for 389 boundaries and 96 sixes in this middle overs at an economy of 5.40. The most impressive part of the ongoing series is the resources of the spinners of the host side. With the injury of their leading leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, a young Jaffrey Vandersay came in and picked up six wickets in the game.
SL vs IND: Playing 11- 3rd ODI, India Tour of Sri Lanka 2024
Sri Lanka doesn’t have any such reason to change their winning eleven for the final unless some injury news comes out at the last moment, which is the regularity in their squad.
Sri Lanka’s Playing 11:
Pathum Nissanka was the highest run-getter of the three-match T20I series against India, as he looked in good touch in the first SL vs Ind ODI game before returning to the hut on a first-ball duck. Dunith Wellalage batted well in both games, with 106 runs in two innings at an average of 106, with a highest score of unbeaten 67 runs.
Vandersay is the joint-highest wicket-taker with six wickets in the second SL vs Ind game, while captain Asalanka too has done a brilliant job with six wickets in two innings at an average of 8.33 and a strike rate of 15.16.
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Sri Lanka’s Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk.), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Kamindu Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Akila Dhananjaya, Asitha Fernando.
India’s Playing 11:
The Indian captain Rohit Sharma has looked to be batting in an aggressive mode for the first two SL vs Ind games, as he is the highest run-getter of the series with 122 runs in two innings, at an average of 61, and a strike rate of 134.06, with back-to-back fifties.
Sundar is India’s leading wicket-taker with four scalps at an average of 19 and an economy rate of four.
India’s Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk.), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
