India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I, Pune: Preview, prediction, likely XIs

Ahead of the third T20I in Pune, one thing is for certain: India will not lose the series. Their 1-0 lead, secured with a seven-wicket win in Indore, coupled with a washout in the first T20I in Guwahati, ensures them that.

However, there is still plenty of intrigue in the series, from an Indian perspective. Jasprit Bumrah, for starters. The pacemen was making his comeback to the field after a stress fracture, but even as he returned 1/32, it was there for all to see that he wasn’t at his best. He conceded six fours, three of them in the death, a stage at which usually Bumrah is unstoppable, and his bowling generally lacked that typical bite.

All of that will surely improve with game time, and to that end, India will be glad he came through without any signs of discomfort. Furthermore, his lack of impact means Sri Lanka will need to be especially wary of him in Pune. He will be determined to put in more of an impactful performance.

Aside from Bumrah, India had plenty to be pleased about. Their batsmen all contributed without dominating, their bowlers attacked in a pack, and all in all, it was a very comfortable evening for the home side.

Sri Lanka, however, will have some concerns. “For us as coaching staff and players we have got some serious work to do in terms of game-plan, match awareness and playing the big moments,” Mickey Arthur, the head coach, said after the second T20I. “I think we had 49 dot balls tonight, which is too many, as the best teams in the world [would] have 25 dot balls. That is something we need to keep working on.”

Will Sri Lanka show signs of improvement? They need to – this Indian side certainly will gobble them up otherwise.

Head to head

The victory in Indore was India’s 10th in 11 consecutive matches against Sri Lanka. The outlier was the abandoned match in Guwahati. The streak has tilted the balance of the head-to-head statistics India’s way by some distance – they’ve won 12 of their 18 clashes so far, with Sri Lanka winning just five.

Key players

KL Rahul (India): The battle between Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan for the second opener’s spot in T20Is had its latest edition in Indore, and Rahul came out tops, scoring a 32-ball 45 compared to Dhawan’s 29-ball 32. Can Dhawan go one better? Or will Rahul better his own lead? It should make for superb viewing.

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka): The veteran paceman lacked his usual spark in Indore. He conceded 41 runs in four overs without taking a wicket, and even on a pitch that wasn’t the best for bowlers, it was sub-par from Malinga. The pace ace has a habit of bouncing back forcefully, though, so the Indian batsmen should be wary.

Likely XIs

India: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini

Sri Lanka: Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera (wk), Oshada Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga (c), Lahiru Kumara

Prediction India to build on Indore, and make it 2-0.