The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka takes place on Sunday when the two sides meet in Dharamsala to get the series underway. This is only a three match series so there is a real emphasis on winning this first game.
That should ensure we get a competitive opener to the series and with the match beginning two hours earlier than a day-night match usually would hopefully the dew won’t play a significant part.
India
The Indians are one of the best sides in the game in this particular format. The reason for that is they have a deep batting line up who are all capable of the big scores that win matches and they now have a bowling attack for all conditions. While they are resting some batsmen for this series they have their full strength attack out.
India have made it clear since Sri Lanka arrived in the country that their focus is on the upcoming tour of South Africa but they will still want to go there with some form behind them so I’m expecting them to be right at it here. If they can win the series after the second game they will be able to rest more players for the third match.
Sri Lanka
Inconsistency is dogging Sri Lanka in this particular format at the minute. We’ve said for a while that they are a side in transition but that is no excuse for some of the performances they have been putting in. A consistently changing side is not helping them one bit and it remains to be seen how balanced they will, or will not, be here.
We saw in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year that Sri Lanka can be dangerous and get themselves up for the big matches and if they can find that spirit for these three matches who knows what they can achieve. They look to have enough options with the bat but the game could boil down to how they bowl.
Team News
India will be without Virat Kohli who is off getting married while Kedar Jadhav was ruled out in the lead up to the series. That could give Shreyas Iyer the chance to impress. Rohit Sharma will skipper the side.
Sri Lanka are never the easiest side to guess and they have plenty of options in their squad for this match. The only thing we do know is that as the captain Thisara Perera will definitely play.
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Betting
Given that we are heavily guessing both how Sri Lanka will line up and how India will go without Kohli there is too much doubt to be betting on the match outcome.
The bet I like in the match is over 8.5 sixes. All three previous matches on this ground have covered this line even though two of them have been relatively low scoring. This is a small ground with accessible boundaries made even easier by the fact the ground is in the mountains and is at altitude. The wicket usually has plenty of pace in it which means the ball comes onto the bat so I’m expecting the sixes to flow here.
Sharma, Pandya, Dhoni, Dickwella, Mathews and Perera can all whack a long ball and over the course of the better part of 100 overs I fancy we’ll reach at least nine sixes.
Tips
Back Over 8.5 sixes for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Betfair
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