India eye series sweep against Lanka

India`s Suryakumar Yadav and Sri Lanka`s Charith Asalanka after India won the second T20 International cricket match over Sri Lanka, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, in Pallekele. Pic/PTI

Having sewn up the series with one match to play, India will be tempted to test out the bench in the final Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

A winning 2-0 lead in Suryakumar Yadav's maiden outing as T20I skipper in his own right is the perfect start to head coach Gautam Gambhir's tenure. India have by far been the superior side, more than holding their own with bat and ball despite the hosts getting into formidable positions while batting in both games thus far.

One area of concern for the visitors could be the lack of penetration with the ball in the first 15 overs of the Sri Lankan innings. In game one on Saturday, the Lankans had reached 149 for three, three-quarters of the way into their 20 overs, while on Sunday in slightly less batting-friendly conditions, they were 130 for two. It's another matter that India came roaring back into the contest on both occasions, catalysing spectacular collapses.

Khaleel Ahmed, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube have yet to get a game while Sanju Samson only played on Sunday because of neck spasms that rendered vice-captain Shubman Gill hors de combat. It will be unfair to judge Samson on the back of one failure, and that too in a rain-hit game; he might so easily slot in ahead of Rishabh Pant, who is in the One-Day International squad too and in line to play three games in six nights in Colombo over the next week or so.

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Washington's off-spin, which fetched him the Player of the Series award in Zimbabwe a fortnight ago, should come in handy against the Sri Lankan top order which boasts three left-handers in the top six. Kusal Perera showed glimpses of what he is capable of on Sunday, and the fact that Washington can take the ball away from him is something Suryakumar and Gambhir will take into account. Dube weighed in with bruising cameos at the World Cup while Khaleel's left-arm pace is another wicket-taking option that could come into consideration.

Having surrendered the series, Sri Lanka will be playing for pride. They will regret not having kicked on from positions of tremendous promise in the two losses. The middle order is under huge scrutiny after successive meltdowns while their fast-bowling resources are stretched thin owing to the unavailability of Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera and Binura Fernando through injury and illness.