In what was shaping up to be a thrilling final showdown between India and Sri Lanka, the scene was set for a battle of epic proportions. With the series already secured by India, Sri Lanka was desperate to salvage some pride and avoid a humiliating whitewash.
The drama started even before the match began, with the weather playing spoilsport. The toss was delayed by a staggering 70 minutes, followed by another hour-long delay in the start of the match due to rain and a wet outfield. Both teams were eager to bowl first, given the conditions and the freshness of the pitch which was expected to assist the spinners.
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and wasted no time in opting to bowl first, hoping to capitalize on the conditions and put pressure on the Indian batting lineup. With the stage set for a thrilling encounter, both teams were geared up for an intense battle on the field.
Sri Lanka made a significant change in their lineup, handing a debut to Chamindu Wickramasinghe who replaced Dasun Shanaka. On the other hand, India made four changes to their squad, ensuring that everyone in the team got a chance to showcase their skills. Shubman Gill made a return to the side after missing the second T20I due to neck spasms, while Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Khaleel Ahmed earned their first game of the series. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh were left out to make way for the new additions.
The lineups for both teams were as follows:
Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Chamindu Wickramasinghe, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Matheesha Pathirana
India: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Sanju Samson (wk), 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Khaleel Ahmed
With both teams eager to end the series on a high, the stage was set for a thrilling encounter between two fierce rivals. Stay tuned for all the live updates and action from the third and final T20I between India and Sri Lanka!
