Team India is set to take on Sri Lanka in the final match of the Asia Cup 2023. The clash will take place at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The last time two sides met, the Men in Blue went on to win the game. However, the stakes will be higher this time around. As per experts and pundits, India will definitely start as favorites but they cannot count out the home side. On this note, let us take a look at three reasons which gives advantage to India in the upcoming finals.
Maheesh Theekshana Missing
In what can be said a big blow to Sri Lanka, spinner Maheesh Theekshana was ruled out of the final match which has left a huge void in the bowling department. The mystery spinner has been a key performer for Lanka with the new ball. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill also prefer pace over spin which might tempt the home team to bring on another spinner in form of Wellalage or De Silva. However, Theekshana bowling will still be missed by home side and might also prove to be a major factor in the outcome of the game.
India has won last 5 games vs Sri Lanka
India have a better record against Sri Lanka in recent times, winning five of their last six ODIs. Notably, in 2021, India toured Sri Lanka and won the series 2-1. Earlier this year, Sri Lanka toured India for a white-ball series, where the Indian side blanked Sri Lanka 3-0 in the ODI format. In the Asia Cup finals too, the Men in Blue have a better record of 4-2 against Sri Lanka and the pressure will be on Dasun Shanaka and Co. to deliver a win in front of a packed Colombo crowd.
India’s top order
Apart from their recent failure against Bangladesh, team India have been generally good with the bat, especially the top-order. The likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit, Kohli and Rahul have been amongst the runs. India also had an excellent start against before Wellalage weaved his magic in Colombo. However, the Indian batting heavyweights might not repeat the same mistake twice. As mentioned above, Theekshana will also not feature in the match which makes the situation even worse for Lanka.
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