Sri Lanka could be looking to rest a few players for today’s third and final ODI after already wrapping up the series with the match scheduled to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket stadium.
The West Indies though will be hard pressed to spring a surprise and salvage something from the series after some poor performances in the first two games with the exception of batsman Shai Hope who scored a century in the first game and a fifty in the second game.
The rest in the visiting party have played below expectations including skipper Kieron Pollard who is yet to reach double figures in a match against Sri Lanka in his career so far.
Another West Indies player who has struggled in the two matches has been the former captain Jason Holder. He failed with the bat on both occasions and is yet to do anything substantial with the ball in hand bowling his medium pace. The Sri Lankans in contrast have been performing even above expectations to win both matches and wrap up the series with allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva hitting a match-winning unbeaten 42 in the first ODI and claiming three crucial wickets in the second game.
The batting too has clicked just when Sri Lanka needed it most with opener Avishka Fernando and middle order batsman Kusal Mendis hammering hundreds in the second game while associating in a 200-plus run partnership in the second game in Hambantota. The only worry for the side has been the failure of batsmen Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva who despite their poor shows are likely to play today raising questions on whether it is fair by the others who are knocking on the door for a place in the playing Eleven.
Today’s match may also be taken by both teams as enough reason to prepare for the upcoming two-match T20 International series which starts on March 4 at the same venue under floodlights.
The West Indies however will be deploying several new faces for the T20 series but lifting their team morale with very little time left will be of utmost importance especially attuning to conditions that are alien to most of their players who are playing in Sri Lanka for the first time.
Although the series has been decided a Sri Lanka Cricket official said the match has been a sell-out.
ODI squads:
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, niwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Lahiru Kumara, Shehan Jayasuriya.
West Indies: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Shai Hope, Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh.