SL vs IND 2024, SL vs IND IND 1st ODI Match Preview
Big picture: SL has been plagued by injury and illness
This means that the uncapped Mohamed Shiraz and Eshan Malinga have been called upon to hopefully – keeping all fingers and toes crossed here – provide support for the other perfect seamer in the team in Asitha Fernando, and the complete styles of Chamika Karunaratne. .
The silver lining in all of this is that it could, but briefly, take their minds off the last two times these teams met in a 50-over competition, when Sri Lanka combined for 105 runs. In fact, in all their four ODI meetings, Sri Lanka failed to reach triple digits three times.
That said, their best course of action would be not to put too much stock in the results of these upcoming games. Their next major ODI tournament is the World Cup in 2027 – they failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy – so focusing on the program and looking to lay the right foundations may be the right play for now.
Form guide
Sri Lanka LWLWW (last five ODIs, first most recent)
India WLWLW
Highlights: Pathum Nissanka and Kuldeep Yadav
Team news: Rohit, Kohli, Kuldeep return
Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers are inconsistent, but as the wicket may tend to spin they may opt to go in with just two frontline batsmen. Depending on whether they want an additional spin option, Dunith Wellalage may be preferred over Chamika Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka (possible)0 11 Asitha Fernando
India’s top order is optional, but it’s low where there may be some testing. With Hardik Pandya not part of the ODI series, one of Shivam Dube and Parag will step in as the batsman. If Parag gets the nod, India may have the luxury of playing three front seamers, meaning one of Khaleel Ahmed and the uncapped Harshit Rana could get the game.
India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant/KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Khaleel Ahmed/Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Tone and mood: Rain in the wind
If the recent Lanka Premier League is anything to go by, the batting conditions are likely to be better in Colombo compared to recent years, but there is still a fair amount for bowlers, especially bowlers. But getting a perfect match on Friday may be difficult, with heavy rain expected throughout the day.
Maths and trivia: India’s governance
- Only Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan among the Allies have a worse number of defeats against India in the last decade than Sri Lanka. During that time India and Sri Lanka have played 24 ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning only three.
- Kohli’s 2594 runs are the second most by an opposition team against Sri Lanka in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar sits atop the list with 3113.
- Since the start of 2023, no batsman has scored more runs in ODIs than Nissanka’s 1648.
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