The drizzle that shortened Sunday’s game lingered into the new week, wrapping the hills of Kandy in a soft mist. Team India, embracing the monsoon’s lethargy, cancelled their Monday practice session. A lazy day out was much due for a team that had put up the entertainment act two days in a row over the weekend.
For Sri Lanka, the respite was more of a necessity, a brief escape from the sting of two defeats within 30 hours. As they resume their attempted T20 revival at the same venue on Tuesday, the challenge will be to rally as a unit and secure a win. While the match might be inconsequential to the series outcome, it holds immense significance for a team struggling at the back of recent failures, and more significantly, the manner of those losses.
Despite the eventual margin between the two teams, the contests have not been entirely one-sided. There were instances where both sides were evenly matched, and at times, Sri Lanka even held the upper hand. Yet, they’ve squandered these opportunities, primarily due to middle-order collapses. Sri Lanka’s batting coach emphasized the need for solutions and perhaps some ‘tough decisions’. This game presents a low-stakes opportunity to experiment with new combinations.
India, too, might see merit in tinkering with their playing XI. However, with the dawn of the Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir era, the question arises: is the focus on immediate results or the long-term process? As the drizzle continues to paint the island in shades of green and grey, both teams face an interesting juncture – one seeking redemption and a new direction, while the other is just extending its merry run in a different island from the Caribbean to Sri Lanka en route to Zimbabwe.
When: Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 7:00 PM (Local Time)
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
What to expect: Following a couple of days of brief drizzle in Kandy, there is prediction of scattered showers on Tuesday evening as well, which could impact the game.
In terms of team news, India had no practice session on Monday. Shubman Gill, who missed out on the previous game due to a neck spasm, is expected to return. India could also be tempted to give chances to Khaleel Ahmed and Washington Sundar. Pathum Nissanka may have dealt slightly better with Axar Patel in this series, but the left-arm spinner has usually managed to control the in-form Sri Lankan opener, conceding only 39 runs in 30 balls and dismissing him twice.
India Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant/Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed
Sri Lanka, grappling with issues in the middle order, might consider bringing in Dinesh Chandimal in place of Dasun Shanaka.
. Another option could be to bring in Avishka Fernando, pushing Kamindu Mendis slightly lower down. Wanindu Hasaranga has had success against Sanju Samson, dismissing him three times in 11 balls while conceding only two runs, despite Samson’s impressive strike rate of above 150 in T20s in 2024.
Sri Lanka Probable XI: Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal/Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Ramesh Mendis/Dilshan Madhushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando
The statistics highlight Sri Lanka’s challenges. Since January 1, 2023, Sri Lanka has tried 11 batters in positions 5-7. Only four of them, including Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka, have scored at a strike rate higher than 150. Moreover, Sri Lanka has lost six of their last eight T20Is at Pallekele since 2019.
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka expressed his dissatisfaction following the team’s loss in the second T20I. “I am really disappointed with the way we batted at the death and about our middle order and lower middle order including me. We must really improve in our batting. On this pitch, when the ball gets older, it gets really hard to bat. As professional cricketers, we have to do well. We were behind by 15-18 runs.”
On the other hand, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav spoke about their approach. “We spoke about this before this tournament – what brand of cricket we want to play. Even if it’s a shorter target or whatever target we are chasing, this is the template which we would like to go ahead with.”
As the teams prepare for the clash on Tuesday, the stakes are different for both sides. For Sri Lanka, it’s about resilience and finding a new path. For India, it’s a continuation of their current success and experimentation for future challenges. The outcome of this match, while not altering the series result, could contribute significantly to the rebuilding and strategic outlook for both teams.