ENG vs IND: After Gill and Avesh Khan, Sundar ruled out as India’s long list of injuries continues

SL vs IND | 3rd ODI: Hosts look for pride salvation, but is Dravid ready to test bench strength?

It was not at all likeable scene when Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur lashed out on skipper Dasun Shanaka after the hosts missed the opportunity to square up the ODI series having gotten India six-wicket down with more than 70 runs to be scored. Later on, Arthur clarified in a tweet that it was rather a very good debate between him and his captain. Will that debate have any outcome on the last match of the series is yet to be seen. Sri Lanka playing for pride and relevance When the Sri Lankan team will take the field on July 23 at the R Premadasa Stadium, more than anything else, it would be about them remaining relevant among the permanent members of the ICC, having lost all but one of their 11 Cricket World Cup Super Leagues. This is the first series of the CWC Super League, the qualifying league for the ICC World Cup 2023 in India, that the Lankan Lions are playing at home. They lost to West Indies 0-3, to Bangladesh 1-2 and to England 0-3, all away from home. Even in this series, they were roughed up in the first game, but came back very well in the second one and almost won it. In the third and the last game of the series, they would look to make amend and try and register the all-important 10 Super League points on the board before it gets too late. Having already been forced to play a Qualifying stage of the T20 World Cup, the Sri Lankan side wouldn’t want to take the humiliation to the next level being forced to play the ODI World Cup qualifiers as well. The team is young and has a leader with good heald on shoulders. All it needs is some support from the coaching staff and the country and the sharpening of the skills and trust in those skills to execute them in crucial situations. India could trade 10 Super League points to test bench strength Since India is going to be hosting the 2023 World Cup, it doesn’t need any Super League points specifically. Having said that, no team likes to lose no matter what the importance of the match is. But Rahul Dravid is such a coach who doesn’t like to bench his players for long. At the start of the series, his and Team India’s aim was to win the series. Now that it has been won, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see 5-6 changes in the team for the next game. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, both have had a go in the ODI series and although they had one success and one failure, Dravid would be tempting to test the confidence of Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad in international waters. Similarly, with Sanju Samson having recovered from his injury, he would likely be tried at Ishan Kishan’s place. Others in the fray could be Nitish Rana getting a game in place of Suryakumar Yadav. The three spinners part of the first two games could also be completely swapped with Krishnappa Gowtham having an outing in place of Krunal Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar getting a game each ahead of the T20s. The Kul-Cha in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav could be rested as well. Chetan Sakariuya, a find of the IPL and consistent performer in the last domestic season deserves a place and Deepak Chahar, after that scintillating performance in the last game would love some time to rest and revitalise for the shortest format series. Sri Lanka vs India: Match Details Match Number- 3rd ODI Date and Time: 03:00 pm IST, 09:30 am GMT, 03:00 pm Local Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Broadcast and Streaming in India: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV Pitch Report As has been witnessed during the last two ODIs, the pitch is perfectly suited for an ODI game with enough turn for the spinners and offering early swing for the pace bowlers as well. If the batsmen settle in, he has a great chance of making big, only that no one has been able to do that from any team in the last two games. However, a score of anything less than 290 is not safe on the wicket. Weather Forecast and Toss Even after it being the monsoon season in Sri Lanka and pouring down heavily in Tamil Nadu of India, which shares its water borders with the island country, Premadasa Stadium has so far been lucky to escape the wrath of the rain gods. However, it seems that it wouldn’t be lucky thrice as there are huge chances of rain in Colombo on Friday, July 23. In fact, during the match timings, the chances increase to 51-60% with the humidity ranging between 77-89% during that period. As far as winning the toss and making a decision is concerned, both the captains would be looking to field first. Team News Sri Lanka With Bahnuka Rajapaksa getting injured in the field during the second game and his form not showing any kind of improvement, Pathum Nissanka might be able to get a game and get some runs under his belt as well. Avishka Fernando needs to remain patient when it comes to his batting approach as he missed two good starts in the first two games. Either Akila Dhananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrma need to get a game in place of Lakshan Sandakan as he has proved costly in both the games. Apart from his leg-spin, Dhananjaya’s ability to use the long handle with the bat pushes his case forward. However, Praveen did exceedingly well in the Tests against Bangladesh at home and brings variety with his left arm orthodox as Sri Lanka already have a leg spinner in Waninndu Hasarna and an off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva. Probable XI Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya/ Praveen Jayawickrma Kasun Rajitha India India would most likely make eight changes as it seems that the rest of the players who haven’t got a game till now might be tried. Thus Padikkal, Gaikwad, Rana, Sakariya, Gowtham, Rahul Chahar and Chakravarthy might be making their India debuts while Samson might get an international game after a long time too. Probable XI Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (c), Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya Dream XI fantasy team Avishka Fernando, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Hardik Pandya, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Krishnappa Gowtham, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar Captain- Wanindu Hasaranga Vice-Captain- Hardik Pandya

Pakistan cricket has suffered because of no international cricket at home: Mushtaq

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has lauded the Indian team management for nurturing the young talents and focusing on the U19 and ‘A’ teams. "Pakistan cricket has suffered a lot because of no international cricket at home but India has done the right thing by investing on its under-19 and A team tours. I remember I was working in England for like four summers and once in Australia and every year I saw some Indian team touring those countries," Saqlain said in an interview as quoted by news agency PTI. Pakistan recently suffered defeats in both T20Is and ODIs against England away from home while the Indian team that is being led by Shikhar Dhawan against Sri Lanka took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series in Colombo. India rode on an emphatic fifty from Deepak Chahar to chase down a target of 276 despite getting reduced to 193/7. The Men in Blue are without the services of mainstays Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they are in the UK with the team which is scheduled to play a five-match Test series beginning on August 4 on Nottingham. This would also mark the starting of the second cycle of the World Test Championship.

Sri Lanka fined 20 percent match fees for maintaining slow over-rate in second ODI vs India

Sri Lanka have been fined 20 percent of the match fees during the second ODI against India in Colombo, the ICC said in a statement. Captain Shanaka pleaded guilty and accepted the proposed sanction so there was no requirement of any formal hearing. “Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Dasun Shanaka’s side was ruled to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration,” the ICC statement said. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. In addition, as per Article 16.12.2 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Playing Conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, Sri Lanka will lose one point from their points tally during the Super League. The home side suffered a defeat in the second ODI as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The visitors were chasing 276 in 50 overs and were reduced to 193/7 in the 36th over when Deepak Chahar chipped in with an unbeaten stand of 84 runs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Chahar hit his career-best 69* off 82 deliveries during the course as India went over the line by 3 wickets in the last over. The two sides will now meet each other in the third and final encounter at the same venue on Friday (July 23, 2021). The Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side is expected to test their bench strength in this game.

Don't take foreign coaches too seriously urges Venkatesh Prasad

Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad has slammed former Indian coach Greg Chappell and has urged the Indian cricketing circle to not take the foreign coaches too seriously. Hailing Deepak Chahar for his heroics with the bat in the 2nd ODI against Sri Lanka, Prasad said that this was the same player who was rejected by Greg Chappell when Chahar was a budding cricketer trying to set his feat in the game. Chappell had asked Chahar to chose a different profession as he felt he was not capable enough of making a career in the game. Deepak Chahar who is primarily a swing bowler managed to get India over the line in the 2nd ODI against Sri Lanka courtesy a sensational knock of 69. "Deepak Chahar Was rejected by Greg Chappell at RCA for his height and told to look at a different occupation. And he single-handedly won a match with not even his primary skills. Moral of the story - Believe in yourself and don't take overseas coaches too seriously," Prasad tweeted. "There are off-course exceptions but with such wonderful talent in India, it's time that teams and franchisees consider having Indian coaches and mentors as much as possible," he further added. Chappell’s coaching stint with the Indian team from 2005 to 2007 remains one of the most controversial coaching tenure ever. While India won 17 consecutive games while chasing under Chappell, he was shown the exit door after India’s ouster from the 2007 World Cup in the group stage. Meanwhile former cricketer and a current analyst Aakash Chopra had als said during an episode of Aakash Vani on Facebook that Chahar was rejected by Chappell during his early days. "Chahar's story is very exciting. When he was younger, he used to practice in Rajasthan in Hanumangarh, he met Gregg Chappell – the director of the Rajasthan Cricket Academy at that time, who told him to leave cricket. Chappell told him to leave cricket not because he wouldn't get selected into the academy but he told him that he would never become a cricketer himself," he had said during the show.