India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI match Preview 28-July-2012
Micromax Cup 2012 | India tour of Sri Lanka 2012 | India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI match Preview 28-July-2012 |
Sri Lanka and India are level at 1-1 in their five match ODI series as they prepare for the third one day which will be staged at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday 27 July 2012. India won the 1st ODI match by 21 runs and Sri Lanka won the 2nd ODI match by 9 wickets. Now this is the match in which both teams gives their strength and show the best performance for to win this match and take the lead in this series by 2-1, both teams really wants to take this match because this match results will be very important for both teams.
In the 2nd ODI match India won the toss and chose to bat first, they started their inning and the Sri Lankan bowlers did not give them any relief to take the strike against them, they really bowled very well and took the Indian wickets like they hungry for that. The tourists, who suffered their second biggest defeat in terms of the number of balls remaining, were completely outplayed in all departments. The two teams now fly to Colombo to play the 3rd ODI at the R.Premadasa Stadium on Saturday, 28 July and will be eyeing what could prove to be a decisive 2-1 lead in this 5-match series.
India:
After a submissive display of batting at Hambantota, the Indians will surely look to set things right. Gautam Gambhir found runs during the last game scoring 65 and can be really dangerous with his partner Virender Sehwag at the top, who will attack the Lankan pacemen from the word go. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and skipper MS Dhoni, all of whom were dismissed cheaply in the last game, will try to make amends this time around and a fierce contests between the Indian batsmen and Lankan bowlers is anticipated. Rohit Sharma, who failed to score in the last game, has added worries for the visitors and needs to deliver at the earliest to retain his place.
Even though the Sri Lankans were chasing a pittance of a total, the Indian bowlers would’ve wanted to make them work harder for their win. They failed to get their direction right in the wind, and left-armers Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan splayed the ball all over the place and allowed the left-handed Tharanga to cut and slash at will. The bowling of India has been targeted as a marked weakness, and they were taken for 7 runs an over in the chase. Considering the Sri Lankans were in no need to be in a hurry, this is a huge cause for concern.
Sri Lanka:
The Sri Lankan camp will breathe a collective sigh of relief, as their openers put on a stand of 119 in a complete turnaround from the first ODI. In the first ODI Upal Tharanga got bogged down in a chase that required a speedy run-rate but this time around was able to score his 59 not out at just under a run a ball, while Dilshan scored his runs at his usual brisk pace. Sri Lanka have always been a side heavily reliant on their explosive batting and although the ball won it for them this time around, I still foresee some mammoth chases required of their line-up.
Sri Lankans would miss the steady line and length of Nuwan Kulasekara, and although the slack was picked up by Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews, Udana was whacked around for 7 runs an over, and only bowled six of them. Sri Lanka may consider playing an extra spinner considering the success (or lack thereof) of the previously mentioned seamer. They would also have Lasith Malinga to take the ball while it’s new, and at the death. Thisara Perera continues his ascendency with both bat and ball, and has now become a very important cog in the machine that is the Sri Lankan side.
Squads for Sri Lanka vs India 3rd ODI Match:
Sri Lanka Squad:
DPMD Jayawardene*, AD Mathews, LD Chandimal, TM Dilshan, N Pradeep, HMRKB Herath, CK Kapugedera, SL Malinga, BMAJ Mendis, NLTC Perera, KC Sangakkara†, SMSM Senanayake, WU Tharanga, HDRL Thirimanne, I Udana
India Squad:
MS Dhoni*†, V Kohli, R Ashwin, AB Dinda, G Gambhir, Z Khan, PP Ojha, IK Pathan, AM Rahane, SK Raina, V Sehwag, R Sharma, RG Sharma, MK Tiwary, UT Yadav
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