Match Preview - India vs Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka in India 2022/23, 3rd T20I

Overview: SL targets first T20I series victory in India

The last time India lost a bilateral T20I series at home was in 2019 when Australia beat them 2-0. Since then, they’ve been on an 11-streak unbeaten streak. But that could change on Saturday.

After leading India from close range in the first T20I, Sri Lanka beat them by 16 points in the second to make it 1-1. A Sri Lanka win at Rajkot will not only end India’s streak but also give the visitors their first T20I series win in India. in six attempts.

Sri Lanka’s hitters may not scare the opposition, but they understand the grammar of the format. Throughout their innings of the second T20I, Sri Lanka had at least one batter in the middle – Kusal Mendis in the first half and Dasun Shanaka in the second – taking the offense against the bowlers. In Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, they both have the most cunning spinners. If their fast bowlers click, like they did in Pune, they can compete with any team.

India, on the other hand, had two top-notch collapses in as many games. Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel saved them in the first T20I, and Suryakumar Yadav and Axar tried to keep them in the game in the second. Other than that, their bowling unit as a whole didn’t click either. After the first T20I, Hardik Pandya talked about putting his players in in difficult situations. In must-play form, it has just that.

Form Guide

India LWTWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLLWL

In the spotlight: Arshdeep Singh and Dasun Shanaka

Although he made his T20I debut just six months ago, Arshdeep Singh was supposed to be the pace attack leader in this new Indian team. He missed the first T20I due to illness, then played five balls with no ball in two overs, which cost India 37, in the second. Overshoot is an old problem with Arshdeep, and it’s high time it fixed it.

Dasun Shanaka love playing against India. In the opening match, his 47 out of 27 balls kept Sri Lanka in the competition. On Thursday he broke the fastest T20I half by a Sri Lankan batter before picking up two wickets in the game’s final to seal victory. His last five T20I shots against India are 56* (22), 45 (27), 33* (18), 74* (38) and 47* (19). With ball, he took more than half of his T20I wickets (14 of 23) against them. If he continues in the same vein, it will not be easy for India to keep their unbeaten streak intact.

Team News: Will India, SL make any changes?

After the second T20I, Rahul Dravid said India weren’t looking to make too many changes unless there was an injury. So expect them to leave with an unchanged XI.

India (likely): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shivam Mavi, 9 Umran Malik, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Sri Lanka may be facing a selection conundrum. Do they keep the winning combination or try to improve it further by replacing an out of shape Bhanuka Rajapaksa with Sadeera Samarawickrama? In the recently concluded LPL, Samarawickrama was the second best run-getter with 294 runs at an average of 58.80 and a strike rate of 131.25.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Sadeera Samarawickrama/Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Location and conditions: Run-fest in Rajkot?

Rajkot’s terrain is often compared to the adjacent trunk road, so be prepared for another run-fest. Teams will seek to play first after winning the toss, as this venue favors the chasing team. It is expected to be a cool evening with clear skies; the temperature should be around 17°C.

Statistics and anecdotes

Yuzvendra Chahal (88) needs three wickets to overtake Bhuvneshwar Kumar (90) as the highest wicket taker for India in the T20I.
Hardik has captained India in seven T20s so far. Thursday was the first time he finished on the losing side.
Sri Lanka have never played an international match at SCA Rajkot Stadium.
In his last ten T20Is, Rajapaksa has 137 carries at an average of 15.22 and a strike rate of 115.12.

Estimate

They [Sri Lanka] have a fairly experienced T20I side in this series. Since the World Cup, they haven’t made too many changes to their playing XI. They have classy players. They have some really good spinners, they have power hitters in the back of the game. I think Dasun Shanaka is playing really well. They may have had some tough times, but they’re definitely not a team you would take lightly at any stage.
India Coach Rahul Dravid on his opponents

“It’s not about mystery, it’s always about the right line and the right length. If I don’t hit the right line and the right length, they [batters] will go after me. So in bowling I always try to focus on that. That’s why I consistently do well in this format.
Maheesh Theekshana reveals the method behind his mysterious trick

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo