It was sheer onslaught by Sri Lanka in the previous game. But onslaught with the ball rather than the bat. Sri Lanka sent the entire West Indies team out for just 89 runs, winning the game by 73 runs. This has made the series interesting once again as the third T20I game between both teams will decide who gets home with the series trophy.
Team Overview:
Charith Asalanka could not do much with the bat, so he decided to unleash his inner spinner and bowled some deadly off-spin. Even with the surprise his 2 wickets at just six runs in one over brought, he was not the man of the moment. It was the debutant (yes, he was a debutant), Dunith Wellalage. He had his team dominate the powerplay by getting two wickets within the first six overs. The fact that the pitch did offer assistance to the tweakers does not take away any credit from the host bowlers. In the batting lineup, it was a welcome sight to see Pathum Nissanka standing and absorbing the pressure while the teammates took risks. What looked like a tedious half-century knock, suddenly became invaluable when the pitch started doing its thing to the Windies batters.
West Indies’ batters could not recover from losing their openers early. The remaining batting lineup fell like a house of cards, with Sri Lanka’s spinners running through them like a hot knife in butter. Although Gudakesh Motie, who was one of the only two spinners West Indies played, got plenty of help from the surface, the fact that he ended wicketless, albeit with an economical figure, tells that the visitors were not able to gauge the danger that lay ahead of them. In their defense, the wicket early on did not look like a surface that would exhibit the treachery it did.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Sri Lanka and West Indies have played 17 T20I matches against each other. From these seventeen games, Sri Lanka have won nine, and the West Indies have won eight.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rain will stay away from the game. This means that the spin-friendly conditions will be increased. The track can be expected to give spinners a lot of favors. West Indies could get Fabian Allen in the team to play and pose a danger to the SL batters. The pacers will get some help early on, after which they will act only as a respite for the batters. The captain who wins the toss will prefer batting first as the pitch will be less deteriorated.
Prediction:
Sri Lanka would have a higher morale given the way they defeated West Indies in the second T20I match. This, in addition to their stronger spin attack, could help them get over the line in this game as well. If West Indies want to pose threat to the hosts, they will need to bank on every single opportunity they get while batting.
Where to Watch:
Sri Lanka: Supreme TV, Ten Cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket’s YouTube
West Indies: Rush Sports
Bangladesh: T Sports
MENA and rest of Asia: Cricbuzz
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
Pakistan: Ten Sports
India: FanCode App, Sony LIV
