After an unexpected tied game in the first match, Sri Lanka (SL) bounced back and secured a massive 32-run victory against the mighty Indians (IND) and maintained its lead in the 3-match ODI series 1-0. The Lankans need another victory to seal the series with a 2-0 victory. On the other side, Rohit Sharma’s led Indian cricket team is in a must-win situation. The men-in-blue will play for self-respect when they face the hosts Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI match of the continuing series to level the series at 1-1.

It was the last time in 1997 when Team India lost a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka with a complete sweep of 0-3. However, the hosts weren’t able to create history after playing 11 series on the homeground.

Gautam Gambhir’s success in T20Is as the new Indian Head Coach was short-lived as he had to face a bitter loss in his first ODI assignment.

Possibly, Sri Lanka would maintain their same playing XI combination whereas Team India might undergo a few changes for the forthcoming clash. Even if the toss outcome remains the same, the pitch and weather conditions are expected to change at the same venue where the first two games were played.

Most importantly, this is the last ODI series for India in 2024, and they will have an additional 3-match ODI series against England in January 2025 before heading on to the Champions Trophy. Let’s delve deeper into this preview to predict the winner of the most awaited match and find out the Indian cricket team’s possibility to shape a strong squad before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Sri Lanka vs India 3rd ODI Match Schedule and Venue

The schedule, venue, live-streaming, and broadcasting details for the upcoming 3rd ODI match between Sri Lanka and India are tabulated below in detail:

SL vs IND Performance in First Two ODI Matches of the Series

Let’s analyze the performances of Sri Lanka and India in the ongoing ODI series:

1. Sri Lanka:

The Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka has taken 6 wickets so far in this series (3-20 in 6.2 overs and 3-30 in 8.5 overs) and has impressed with his bowling performance in the first two matches. But, it was Jeffrey Vandersay’s 6-wicket haul in the 2nd ODI match that completely dismantled the in-depth batting line-up of the Indian cricket team, which includes the most crucial wicket of India’s captain and explosive batter Rohit Sharma as well.

Despite the batting unit delivering an average performance, the bowlers have put up an impressive show which helped Sri Lanka take a lead in the series.  However, Dunith Wellalage batting at the lower order is the only Sri Lankan batter to score 100-plus runs in the ODI series (106 runs: *67 runs in the 1st ODI and 39 runs in the 2nd ODI).

2. India:

Although the Indian bowlers put up a decent performance in the first two matches, the batters dragged the team down despite a fantastic start from Rohit Sharma.

The Hitman is the only top-scoring batter for Team India scoring back-to-back fifties and these are the scores in the recent two games:

• 1st ODI: 58 runs from 47 balls (including 7 fours and 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 123.40.
• 2nd ODI: 64 runs from 44 balls (including 5 fours and 4 sixes) at a strike rate of 145.45.

Whereas the core batters such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer are yet to find their form in the series. Mainly, the experimentation and inconsistency in the middle-order batting line-up have resulted in a poor performance of the Indian cricket team. 

Weather Conditions for Sri Lanka vs India 3rd ODI Match

The temperature during the 3rd ODI match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo is expected to be around 28 °C to 30 °C with 40% chance of rain. However, the match wouldn’t be canceled and rather a reduced over contest would be conducted per side only if severe rains continue for maximum time.

Toss Outcome Prediction and Pitch Conditions for SL vs IND 3rd ODI Match

Based on the pitch conditions and results of the first two matches in the ongoing ODI series, the toss-winning captain would invite the opponent team to bowl first. This is because the surface at R. Premadasa Stadium tends to become slow as the game progresses. In other words, teams batting first would have maximum chances to accumulate more runs than the chasing sides. You can expect a score of 230 to 250 runs scored by the first batting teams at this venue.

The chasing teams would still have the chance to win the match only by utilizing the first ten overs of the powerplay to score maximum runs and reduce the equation to achieve the required target.

Sri Lanka vs India Head-to-Head Stats in One Day Internationals (ODIs)

Out of 169 ODI matches, India secured 99 wins, 57 losses, and 2 tied games against Sri Lanka. The forthcoming game will not only help the Indians to conclude the series on a leveling note but also secure their 100th win against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format as well.

Sri Lanka vs India Predicted Playing XI for 3rd ODI Match

Both Sri Lanka and India might prefer the below-mentioned list of playing XI combinations for the upcoming 3rd ODI match:

Sri Lanka Possible Playing XI Combination for 3rd ODI:

India Possible Playing XI Combination for 3rd ODI:

SL vs IND 3rd ODI Match Winner Prediction: Final Thoughts

Sri Lanka and India have a 50% chance of winning and the teams with a strong batting and bowling lineup will certainly triumph in the upcoming clash. Even if the match gets canceled due to harsh weather conditions, Sri Lanka still wins the series 1-0, which could become the worst nightmare for India.

However, Rohit Sharma and his men would be cautious not to lose another match and try to make a strong comeback by improving their batting performance.

Finally, there are possibilities for the series to conclude with a result of 2-0 (if Sri Lanka wins the game), 1-0 (if the match gets abandoned due to intense rains), or 1-1 (if India wins the match to level the series).