The third and final T20 International match against Sri Lanka will be played in Pune from 7 pm on Friday. The dilemma for the Indian team will be whether to stay with the winning combination or provide the necessary time to Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey at the crease. The inexperienced Sri Lankan team in Indore could not compete anywhere in India and given this, Pandey and Samson could be included in the team.
Many players have not got the chance:
Pandey has played just one match in the last three series including the current series. At the same time, Samson, who returned to the Bangladesh series in November, has not yet got a chance to play in a single match. Looking at the T20 World Cup to be held in October-November, India has been experimenting in team combination but these players are yet to be tested. On the other hand, the absence of senior players has created an opportunity for Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini to make an impact and they also impressed by taking five wickets in the last match.
Samson and Pandey are constantly on the bench:
Shivam Dubey, who replaced Washington Sundar and injured Hardik Pandya, got plenty of opportunities to show his ability. After winning in Indore, captain Virat Kohli said that the team is getting better with every match. He also indicated that the Prasidh Krishna could be a surprise package for the World Cup to be held in Australia. Samson and Pandey will be a bit disappointed to be on the bench, but they may be given a chance on Friday.
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Shikhar and Rahul will be watching:
However, there is also no denying that the team management will choose the playing eleven with the intention of winning the series. The focus will also be on Shikhar Dhawan, who is in the race for the second opener with Lokesh Rahul. However, this time Rahul looks ahead of him in the race of Rohit Sharma’s partner in Australia. Jasprit Bumrah, however, could not do well in the comeback match on Tuesday but he would like to perform brilliantly in the last match.
Chahal and Jadeja will again sit in the dugout:
If Dubey is to retain his place in the team after Pandya’s return to action, he will have to perform well when he gets a chance to bat. Thakur and Saini impressed in Indore. While Thakur was good in the death overs, Saini troubled the batsmen with his speed and bounce. There are plenty of left-handed batsmen in the Sri Lankan team, so spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar are expected to retain their place in the team which means Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal will have to sit out.
That’s why Sri Lanka is in trouble:
If the Sri Lankan team has to trouble the home team then they will have to work a lot. The batsmen will have to play long innings after getting a good start which they could not do in the second T20. The injury of all-rounder Isuru Udana is also a shock for the team who was injured during practice in Indore. This did not lead to their main bowler bowling in Indore. The Sri Lankan team can, however, take advantage of the experience in the batting department. Angelo Mathews, who returned to T20 after 16 months, was not picked for two consecutive matches. But he may be in the playing XI on Friday.
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