India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed
Suryakumar Yadav: Would've liked to chase as well with the weather around. Becomes difficult for the bowling team to control the ball later.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to field
Charith Asalanka:
Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to field
Arshdeep Singh: (On his journey in international cricket) I am very grateful, you always dream to play for your country and I have received a lot of support. I like the pressure, I like tough situations and I want to perform in those situations. I try new variations - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, I focus on the process and not results. I have been lucky enough to play with great bowlers like Bhuvi, Bumarh and now Siraj as well. The vibe (in the team) is really nice, the environment is very light, we are having fun, we are having each others' back.
The players are all out there and warming up.
Pitch report by Russel Arnold: Strong wind blowing across should blow away the concerning clouds but there could be intermittent showers. We're on a new pitch, right next to the one used in the last two games.
19:01 Local Time, 13:31 GMT, 19:01 IST: Toss will be at 7:40pm and the match will start at 8pm. No overs will be lost.
ALANKRIT RAJ: I think KL Rahul deserves a chance in the t20I setup as well . Still remember his centuries in West Indies and England that series victory in NewZeland where he captained for the first time in absence of Virat and Rohit .
18:40 Local Time, 13:10 GMT, 18:40 IST: The covers are still being peeled off slowly. The entire ground was covered as is customary in Sri Lanka. Still few large squares of tarpaulin remain. The toss should happen soon though.
18:26 Local Time, 12:56 GMT, 18:26 IST: The rain has stopped and the covers are being removed. The toss might be slightly delayed.
We're about 15 mins away from the scheduled time for the toss and it has just started to drizzle.
Live pictures show that the entire ground is under wraps but it is not raining at the moment.
18:00 Local Time, 12:30 GMT, 18:00 IST: In a game who's result that has little significance in the larger picture lies an excellent opportunity for both these teams to put to test what they've been working on on the drawing board.
Preview by Aayush Puthran
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. For a brief while, they showed the resolve to train, but as the day unfolded in the lush, serene hills, plans were reconsidered and ultimately abandoned. The indecisiveness is probably understandable. 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 islands of Caribbean to Sri Lanka en route 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.
Team News
India: There was no practise session for the team. Shubman Gill, who missed out the previous game due to a neck spasm should return. India could also be tempted to give chances to Khaleel Ahmed and Washington Sundar.
Tactics & Matchups: Pathum Nissanka may have dealt with Axar Patel slightly well 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.
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: With issues in the middle order needing a fix, the hosts could be tempted to bring in Dinesh Chandimal in place of Dasun Shanaka. The other option they might be tempted to try out would be to bring in Avishka Fernando and push Kamindu Mendis slightly lower down.
Tactics & Matchups: Wanindu Hasaranga has dismissed Sanju Samson thrice in 11 balls, conceding only two runs against the batter who has struck at a rate of above 150 in T20s in 2024
Since January 1, 2023, Sri Lanka have tried 11 batters in the position from 5-7. Only four of those - which includes Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka - have scored at a strike rate of higher than 150
Sri Lanka have lost six of the last eight T20Is they've played in Pallekele since 2019
What they said:
"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" - Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka captain, following the team's loss in the second T20I
"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 - Suryakumar Yadav, India captain, following the team's second consecutive dominant show with the bat
India
Sri Lanka
