ODI World Cup the focus as India, Sri Lanka shift formats

 

India, sitting at fourth in the ICC’s ODI rankings, face eighth-placed Sri Lanka in the first ODI series of 2023 which starts on January 10 in Guwahati. The two teams engaged in a closely-contested T20I series this week which went the host’s way 2-1, and now the focus shifts to the 50-over format with the World Cup some ten months away.

India, by virtue of being hosts, have automatically qualified for the ODI World Cup but Sri Lanka have much to do. Dasun Shanaka’s team can catapult past West Indies if they win two of these three ODIs in India, but if not then their tour of New Zealand becomes tantamount.

Both teams are in need of fine-tuning their ODI squads and approach to the World Cup, particularly India who were beaten in their most recent series in Bangladesh. These matches were supposed to be Jasprit Bumrah’s return to cricket after surgery a couple of months ago, but the BCCI announced a day before the first ODI that the experienced quick was out of the series because he needs “some more time to build bowling resilience”.

Sri Lanka are coming off a 1-1 ODI series draw with Afghanistan at home, and Shanaka has earmarked this entire tour of India as vital preparation for the World Cup later in 2023.

 

SCHEDULE

January 10 – 1st ODI, Guwahati

January 12 – 2nd ODI, Kolkata

January 15 – 3rd ODI, Thiruvananthapuram

 

TEAM NEWS

 

INDIA

Rishabh Pant’s horrific accident has ruled him out for the foreseeable future, which gives Ishan Kishan the chance to hold down his spot as India’s ODI wicketkeeper for beyond this series. Kishan did very well in the T20Is against Sri Lanka, and back for his first ODI since his stunning 210 in Bangladesh, the 24-year-old will back himself for more success in 2023.

Given his stellar work behind the stumps, Kishan should get the wicketkeeper’s role in this series too, which means that KL Rahul thus looks set to return as a middle-order batsman only, after Virat Kohli at No 3 and Shreyas Iyer at No 4. Suryakumar Yadav is also part of the ODI squad, and given his recent T20I form – which most recently saw him smash a stunning 112* off 51 balls – it will be near impossible to leave him out despite his average record in the 50-over format. But how the team management fits Suryakumar in is not obvious because Rohit Kohli, Iyer, Rahul and Hardik Pandya, the vice-captain, pick themselves. So then, do India keep using Rahul as the wicketkeeper, as they did in Bangladesh, and put Kishan on the bench? If so, who opens with Rohit? Does Rahul move back upto opening after recently batting in the middle order, just to Suryakumar can be accommodated?

As it stands, Shubman Gill, after a middling introduction to T20Is in the Sri Lanka matches, does not look like starting the series given Kishan and Rahul’s presence.

Pandya’s presence means that one of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar will make way, but the team cannot rely on the vice-captain to bowl 10 overs and so the makeup of the 11 becomes more critical. News a day before the series that Bumrah has been withdrawn as a precautionary measure is a blow, and now opens up a chance for Mohammed Siraj to get a game. Kuldeep Yadav will compete with Yuzvendra Chahal for the specialist spinner’s role.

India likely XI (1^st ODI): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Umran Malik

 

SRI LANKA

Not too many changes in personnel between the T20I and ODI squads, but middle-order batsman Ashen Bandara should get a game with Dinesh Chandimal not around. Dunith Wellalage should retain his spot as a bowling allrounder and Chamika Karunaratne’s return hints that Lahiru Kumara could have to sit out.

 

Sri Lanka likely XI (first ODI): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk),

3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Ashen Bandara, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Mahesh Theekshana, 11 Kasun Rajitha

 

PITCH & CONDITIONS

Only one ODI has been played at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium, venue for the series opener. That was in 2018, when India chased West Indies’ 322 to win by eight wickets and with a whopping 47 deliveries remaining. The two T20Is played there in 2017 and 2022 saw totals of 118, 122/2, 237/3 and 221/3 scored. Runs can be expected, no doubt, but given the time of year there is some hope of the seam bowlers getting some aid from the track.

 

PREDICTION

India are a better ODI side than in T20Is, and with Rohit, Kohli, Rahul and Iyer returning they are the undoubted favourites despite the recent series defeat to Bangladesh. Expect it to be 3-0 to India, unless their bowlers fluff their lines.