It is do or die for the India Cricket Team. In order to salvage a draw in the IND vs SL ODI series, Rohit Sharma and Co need to win the 3rd ODI at all costs. Team India is at the risk of losing the series after going down 1-0 in the 3-match series. India drew the first game and then went to lose the second game.
And now, with the series on the lone, it is now or never for the T20 World Cup champions. In the T20I series, India ensured a dominant 3-0 win, but Gautam Gambhir is on line to lose his maiden series as the coach of the Indian Cricket Team.
Batting woes for Team India
Batting has always been the strength for the Men in Blue. But in the ODI series, it has been sub par given India’s standard and strength. In the previous two games, India failed to chase down less than 250 score. While the first game ended in a draw, the hosts won the second game with 32 runs.
Apart from Rohit Sharma slamming fifty on both the games, none of the other batters faired well. Axar Patel has been decent scoring runs down the order, but the rest of the batters have been thoroughly inconsistent.
And now with the solitary game remaining, India will be desperate to put out a good show with the bat. Rather than one batter performing, for the Men in Blue, it should be a team effort where everyone does their part and contributes with the bat. All the focus will be on the likes of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul who are yet to sink their teeth in the series.
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Hosts keen to break 27-year record
For Sri Lanka, the onus is on the hosts. They have done their part. After batting first on both the games, Sri Lanka has been successful in triggering batting collapse against the Indians. And in the IND vs SL 3rd ODI, the hosts will be keen to replicate the process.
Sri Lanka will be keen in breaking their 27-year drought. The Emerald Isles are on the brink of breaking a massive record. Should Sri Lanka win the series, they would win their first bilateral series against India for the first time in 27 years. The last time the Lankans won was back in 1997.
Thus, with the series on the line, it is time for Rohit Sharma and Co to set up and take the fight to the Lankans.
