Sri Lanka vs. West Indies 3rd ODI Sri Lanka looking forward to a whitewash

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Touring West Indies team will have a daunting task ahead to pull off a win, while Sri Lanka will be hoping for a series whitewash in the final ODI, which will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in a day-night encounter on 1 March. Sri Lanka has already pocketed the three-match series with an unbeatable 2-0 lead, after winning the first two encounters in Colombo and Hambantota.

West Indies put up a brave effort against the top Indian side in India last December, losing out by two matches to one. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was thrashed by India in India in the T20, but later got the better of Zimbabwe away in the African nation in the longer version of the game. The visiting West Indies outfit, playing only for pride at this point, could test a few youngsters in the squad, as could the hosts. The Pallekele pitch could assist the seamers early in the game, but should be a batting paradise for both sides later in the day, providing some good entertaining cricket for the sell-out crowd of 35,000 in the Central Hills.

It was Wanindu Hasaranga’s super effort that carried the first ODI, while the second belongs to Avishka Fernando’s and Kusal Mendis’s centuries after Mendis was dropped very early in the match. Sri Lanka are in a commanding position to seal the series 3-0.

The sides are closely matched - in 59 one-day encounters between the two, each has won 28, with 3 matches ending in no decisions, while in the ICC rankings Sri Lanka has a slight edge at number 8, with West Indies ranked at number 9.