Barring the first T20I match wherein they won, West Indies have not had much to write home about during this tour of Sri Lanka. That is until Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie sew a record 9th wicket partnership of 119, West Indies’ highest to date. West Indies found themselves hanging at 58 for the loss of eight wickets when these two decided to play for some face-saving. Though akin to all their efforts thus far in the series, this partnership, too, could not help the visitors get over the line. Taking nothing away from the magnificent partnership, Sri Lanka as a unit easily outshone both the batters, similar to how they did throughout the series.
Team Overview:
The West Indian top-order, in this series, has shown vulnerability to so much as a whiff of aggression from the opposition bowlers. In two matches, the top four could not even cross a hundred runs collectively. It is justifiable that you can not go all guns blazing against Sri Lankan spinners on their home turf, especially when the pitch is being reused but there is no reason why you can not stay on to keep the tally ticking, slowly but steadily. Sri Lanka won the game chasing 190 with only 34 balls to spare, which in itself is a formula for how you tackle the non-assisting pitches as a batter in this part of the world. Gudakesh Motie has been a star in this series with both the bat and the ball. Keeping in view the paltry support from the batting lineup, the bowlers did a great job in keeping Sri Lanka away from a more dominating thrashing.
Sri Lankan spinners were menacing from the get-go in the entire series. But this also breeds a question of whether the brilliance has more to do with the rank-turners. Sri Lanka played only one seamer in the second game, which was the right call given the conditions, but the point is that their fast bowling in the ODI format needs more game time. The hosts batted pretty deep during the previous game – Dunith Wellalage was to come in at No. 9.
Head-to-Head Matches:
From a total of 67 ODI games, Sri Lanka have won 33 matches each, while West Indies reel behind closely with 31 wins. The remaining three games ended without any result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rain is forecasted for the better part of the day. If it subsides, it will do so in the evening, so a loss of overs is on the cards this time as well. Like the previous two games, it will be a difficult surface to bat on during the first innings. The best chance for the batters to stay unscathed is not to play risky shots. The toss-winning captain should field first.
Prediction:
It looks like it is going to be a 3-0 since West Indies seem to be still wrapping their head around the situation. Toss will be an important factor too. Runs from the top order would be West Indies’ best bet at posing a threat to Sri Lanka.
Where to watch:
You can watch the 3rd ODI game between Sri Lanka and West Indies by tuning in to the following:
Sri Lanka: Supreme TV, Ten Cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket’s YouTube channel (Live streaming)
West Indies: Rush
Pakistan: Ten Sports
India: FanCode App, Sony LIV
Bangladesh: T Sports
Middle East, North Africa, and South East Asia: Cricbuzz
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
