
Colombo: A dominant India will look to complete a whitewash of Sri Lanka when the two teams face off in the fifth and final ODI here tomorrow. India had last beaten Sri Lanka by a 5-0 margin in 2014-15 on home soil.
With the series already in their kitty and opener Shikhar Dhawan returning home to be with his ailing mother, skipper Virat Kohli is likely to bring in Ajinkya Rahane, who has been warming the bench. In the bowling department, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur, along with the young left-arm spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, will once again aim to shatter Lanka’s inexperienced batting line-up.
Sri Lanka, going through a traumatic
transitional phase, will expect their young guns to give their best and
help the team escape a humiliating whitewash.
Young spinner Akila Dananjaya is also expected
to play a key role in the bowling department alongside Vishwa Fernando
and Lakshan Sandakan and whereas in the batting department
the experience of former skipper Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis should be a good work for the Sri Lankan team.