After much off-field dramas in the past weeks, cricket is set to take center stage with Sri Lanka taking on India A in a practice game at Brabourne Stadium. It will be a good opportunity for the Islanders to get some much-needed practice ahead of the first one-dayer, after been called to fill in the void left by the departure of the West Indies.
However, it is a good chance for the touring party to test their metal against one of the best limited-overs side and a practice game in Mumbai will provide them an opportunity to get back into the grove. The Lankan Lions are without speedster Lasith Malinga and ace-spinner Rangana Herath, which could be a golden opportunity for others to cement their place for the World Cup.
“We’re missing our two best bowlers in Rangana and Lasith, but it’s a good opportunity to see what the others can do,” Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu said. “Not just for the bowlers but the batsmen as well – it’s a chance for a lot of them to nail down a permanent place in the team.”
The touring party has a star-studded batting lineup featuring Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene but the problems in the top-order are yet to be sorted out. Lanka will have a tough time in choosing Tillakaratne Dilshan’s partner for the opening slot not only for the forthcoming ODI series but also for the World Cup.
Lanka has quality players like Upul Tharanga and Kusal Perera at the top but they both lack consistency. Perera, in particular, has a habit of throwing wicket after settling in and the Lankan coach will be exploring all his options in the series and in the warm up game.
“The opening slot is something we’ll definitely look at,” Atapattu pointed out. “That’s why we’re taking three openers on this tour. We need to look at Upul and Kusal. The preparation is not 100%, but we’ll try and get our combinations right. That’s what we are looking to get out of this tour. There are a few young players, so we will give them opportunities.”
Meanwhile, from India’s point of view all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma, who is making a comeback from multiple injuries. Rohit is not included in Indian team for the first three ODIs but he will be eager to prove his fitness for the final two ODIs.
The selectors will be keeping a close eye on the performances of players like Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson and Karn Sharma. Dhawal Kulkarni, who is not included in the ODI squad, will be aiming to put himself into consideration to play in the opening ODI.
Squads: India A: Manoj Tiwary (c), Unmukt Chand, Manan Vohra, Karun Nair, Rohit Sharma, Kedar Jadhav, Sanju Samson, Perveez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Manish Pandey and Kuldeep Yadav.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (c), Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Gamage, Chaturanga de Silva, Seekuge Prasanna and Suraj Randiv.
Where to Watch Practice Match Live Scores
The one-off practice match between India A and Sri Lanka is scheduled for a 9:00 am IST and 3:30 am GMT start at Brabourne Stadium. The live updates of the match will be available on BCCI.tv and ESPN Cricinfo.
