3rd ODI: Riyan handed debut, Rishabh comes in as Sri Lanka opt to bat against India

Colombo, Aug 7 (IANS) Riyan Parag has been handed his debut ODI cap while Rishabh Pant returned to playing the format after 20 months as Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the third ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.

A win will give Sri Lanka an ODI series win over India for the first time since August 1997. Parag received his ODI cap from Virat Kohli minutes before the toss, and replaces left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh in the playing eleven.

Apart from his middle-order batting prowess, Parag’s handy off-spin means India have a third spin-bowing option on a dry pitch. On the other hand, left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Pant is playing an ODI for the first time after November 2022, a month before suffering multiple injuries in a life-threatening car crash.

He replaces fellow wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul in the playing eleven for Wednesday’s match. “Plenty to play for, we've been challenged in the last two matches. It's clear as to what we need to do with the bat and ball.”

“We've addressed it - what we need to do as a group. You got to give credit to the opposition, they played well and understood the position well. Another opportunity for us to correct (mistakes from last game defeat),” said captain Rohit Sharma.

Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka said off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana comes in for spinner Akila Dananjaya. “It (the pitch) looks same like the previous two ODIs. Guys are doing very well; we are in a good position. I would like to see someone score a hundred on this pitch.”

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando