SL vs IND: Statistical Preview of third ODI at Kandy

New Delhi: Team India are all geared up to wrap up Sri Lankan hope at Kandy when they take on the Islanders in the third one-day international match, at Pallekele, tomorrow.

Following a crushing Test-series defeat, Upul Tharanga-led Sri Lanka welcomed the Men in Blue for a five-match ODI series. Skipper Virat Kohli played an astonishing role of a partner-in-crime alongside opener Shikhar Dhawan to stitch a ravishing 197-run stand as India secured a comprehensive nine-wicket victory. They extended their domination over the hosts riding on a patient 100-run partnership by MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the eighth wicket.

Heading for the third game in the same venue, Sri Lanka would miss the service of their skipper Upul Tharanga owing to him facing a two-match ban due to slow over rate. Chamara Kapugedera will take on the responsibilities, while Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne will mark a comeback.

Here are the statistics in line for the 3rd ODI:

1) If Team India can manage yet another victory in the third match tomorrow, then it will be their seventh successive bilateral series victory over the Islanders. Adding to it, it would also account to their fourth consecutive win on Sri Lankan soil.

 

2) Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, India will extend their domination in 50-over format to fifth consecutive series win, third on foreign soil.

 

3) The Sri Lankan team has been going rounds changing their captains and Chamara Kapugedera will become the fifth cricketer to lead the hosts accounting all three formats. Angelo Mathews started off with the role. After the team's dismal show against Zimbabwe, he stepped down and Rangana Herath was announced the captain for the Test series against India. Dinesh Chandimal was announced the skipper after injury kept Herath on the sidelines. Upul Tharanga became the fourth, leading his side to two back-to-back ODI defeats in home against Virat Kohli-led India.

 

4) Indian skipper has been ravishing in the 50-over format maintaining his reign atop in the rankings chart. He is presently 41 runs short of becoming the leading run getter in this year. Leading the chart is however, South African skipper Faf du Plessis with 814 runs and he is followed by the English skipper Joe Root with 785 runs.

 

5) Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 12 runs short of adding yet another feather to his cap. With 9367 ODI runs, he is just 12 behind former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin edging past whom Dhoni would become the fourth-highest run scorer in ODI in India. Leading the list in Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs), followed by Sourav Ganguly (11,221) and then Rahul Dravid (10,768).

 

6) Indian opener Rohit Sharma is 75 runs away from surpassing Suresh Raina to become the 9th highest run scorer for India. Raina is presently on 5568 runs.

 

7) Angelo Mathews is nine runs short of amassing 1000 ODI runs against India.

 

8) Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one stumping away from scripting a world record. He equalled the present record in the second ODI game against Sri Lanka and thus stands alongside Kumar Sangakkara on 99 stumpings. One more and he could become the first wicketkeeper to affect 100 stumpings in ODI cricket.

 

9) Lasith Malinga is still two wickets short of achieving the feat of 300 ODI wickets. Overall, he would become the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to achieve the mark, but as a pacer he would become the second after Chaminda Vaas.

 

10) Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs four more wickets to account 50 overseas wickets. He would, in fact, turn out to be the slowest among the pacers to achieve the mark. He presently has 46 wickets from 71 matches and is all geared up to edge past Madan Lal (73). Bhuvi would become the 25th highest Indian wicket-taker in the 50-over format.