Guwahati: India will walk into the field on the first match of the New Year with Sri Lanka at the Assam Cricket Association, Barsapara stadium as clear favourites, with heavy overcast conditions prevailing in the morning of the match which indicted that blowers will also get some purse in a high scoring pitch.
The regional meteorological department has predicted that there will be intermittent showers in the day.
However, organizers said that ground conditions and state of the art drainage system in the ground equips them to start the match within half an hour of rain disruptions.
Sri Lankan captain Lasith Malinga has admitted yesterday in a presser that beating Indian in the home turf is a tough ask but his team is ready to take the challenge. Since Malinga took over as a captain again, in 2019, Sri Lanka has lost nine matches under him and won only once.
Malinga will today lead a relatively young team against an experienced Indian side who of late haven’t lost many series to Sri Lanka. Indian has not lost a bilateral series to Sri Lanka in any format in more than ten years. However, one of Sri Lanka’s best finisher Angelo Mathews is back in the side. A shadow of his past but still team management thinks that if the all rounder could show his spark with a bat it will do world of good to the team.
For team India, the match will be important like other fixture since it’s the first match of 2020 in a year when T20 World Cup will take place Men in Blue won’t take any chances. The form of Shikhar Dhawan is a worry for team management with another opener Rohit Sharma getting a much-needed break. It will be a crucial match for Dhawan after a spell of failed start he is banking on the match to get going again.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to slot right back into the XI as he returns after recovering from a stress fracture. With India prioritising batting depth of late, both spin-bowling allrounders could play, with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal having to battle it out for the lone wristspinner’s slot.
Ahead of the match, Indian captain Virat Kohli said that the Guwahati pitch to be a high-scorer. Although there has been raining in the past week, the weather is cloudy which indicated that bowlers will also get some help at the start of the match.
“I believe it’s going to be high-scoring. The pitch, the last time we played West Indies was good to bat on. We expect the pitch to play well and it’s going to be a challenge for the bowlers. Again, an opportunity to see which bowler reacts under pressure situations, and that’s primarily our focus. If it’s a batting-favourable pitch or bowler-friendly, the opposite skill will see interestingly how they step up” Mr Kohli said in a pre-match conference. (UNI)
