India are fired up to turn the tables on Sri Lanka when these two cricket giants clash on Wednesday 13 December.
The hosts faced a tough jolt in the opening ODI at Dharamsala, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s resilient performance lower down the order proved why he’s still a vital pick in the first-choice XI despite mixed opinions.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka have taken a positive stride in trying to salvage their tough limited-overs season and stand just one win away from pulling off an unexpected series triumph.
India v Sri Lanka | Wednesday, 13 December | Punjab Cricket Association Stadium | 8:00
Match Odds
India 34/100 | Tie 35/1 | Sri Lanka 9/4
India
Life without Virat Kohli is proving challenging. Sri Lanka exploited the missing middle order presence in the series opener, so Dinesh Karthik and the young duo Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, with just 21 ODIs between them, need to rise to the occasion, irrespective of the openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma’s performances.
India’s bowling looked unsteady, with Hardik Pandya perhaps not quite ready to take the role of third seamer. They might consider dropping a spinner for an extra pacer. Surprisingly, Sharma didn’t entrust the spinners Yuzvendra Chahal or Kuldeep Yadav with the ball early, but they will need to be given the ball soon after the powerplay in Mohali.
India had a shaky record at the Punjab Cricket Association ground between 2006 and 2011 but have turned it around with four wins in the last five games there. Kohli’s absence is worrying; the team cannot solely rely on Dhoni.
Sri Lanka
The visitors surprised many with a victory at Dharamsala and now aim to maintain momentum to secure the series against a higher-ranked ODI side.
Angelo Mathews provided an excellent new-ball partnership alongside Suranga Lakmal, and maintaining this combination is crucial, avoiding tempting changes like bringing in Nuwan Pradeep prematurely.
Their batting lineup wasn’t pushed hard in the last match but showed great composure chasing a modest total confidently. Despite failures from Danushka Gunathilaka and Lahiru Thirimanne, the XI and batting order should remain unchanged. Adapting to spin in Mohali will be key as they only faced seam bowling in Dharamsala.
Sri Lanka hasn’t played an ODI at Mohali in over a decade, but Upul Tharanga, part of the 2006 Champions Trophy win here, will be looking to add another century at the venue now that he’s free from captaincy duties.
Final Word: Sri Lanka 9/4
Without the inspirational Kohli and with a tendency to falter under pressure, India could be in for a tough game, and Sri Lanka have a great chance to cause an upset.
