An all too easy run chase in Colombo on Wednesday saw Sri Lanka seal their ODI series with the West Indies with a match to spare but the two sides will still meet for the third and final time in Pallekele on Saturday.
Sri Lanka will be looking for a clean sweep to take into the T20 matches with them while West Indies probably need to take this seriously even though it is a dead rubber as they need the ranking points a win would give them in their quest to avoid having to qualify for the World Cup.
With the series won there is the opportunity for Sri Lanka to rest or rotate some players and get game time into those who need it ahead of the T20 series should they wish to do that.
Ajantha Mendis would look the obvious player to step aside if changes are made as he isn’t in the T20 squad. Jeffrey Vandersay could come into the side as a replacement perhaps.
West Indies have the same option with regards to resting or rotating for this match but this ODI means much more to them so you would think any changes they make would be designed to strengthen the side.
Andre Russell and Denesh Ramdin both missed the previous match but both look to be fit for this game so you would expect them both to come back into the side. That will strengthen the West Indies middle order and Russell will give them another pace option in conditions which could suit the quicks. Jason Holder returns from his suspension.
The series has moved on from Colombo to Pallekele for this match with the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium the venue. There have been 16 previous ODIs on this ground with Sri Lanka having an 8-6 winning record while the West Indies play here for the first time.
This ground tends to have a little more pace and bounce in it which will suit the West Indies’ quicker bowlers and the boundaries are more obtainable which will probably suit their batsmen so this could well be the highest scoring match of the three.
The West Indies have everything they need to salvage something from the series here but I’m effectively already on them having taken Sri Lanka to win the series 2-1 before it began so I’ve no need to go on them again.
One bet I will take though is one I took in the last game but was refunded on with the rain coming into play and that is Tillakaratne Dilshan’s performance. His line remains at 40 and on this ground that looks even lower than it did in Colombo.
Dilshan averages a pretty crazy 83.45 on this ground in ODIs with five of his 17 centuries coming here. His last eight scores on this ground have been 102*, 125, 6, 115*, 86, 35, 68 and 47 so he loves batting here.
If that isn’t enough he also has 13 wickets at 21.61 here including career best figures of 4/4 so with bat and ball he is always in the game on this ground. Those statistics suggest the veteran Sri Lankan should heavily threaten, and go way past, a line of 40.
Back T.Dilshan’s Performance – 40pts or more for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
Blog cricket YTD: +15.91pts
