HomeNewsSA vs SL, 3rd ODI preview and predictions: Final chance for visitors to keep series alive
South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI preview and predictions: Final chance for visitors to keep series alive
The weather at Johannesburg is expected to be sunny for the match day. Though the forecast suggests partly cloudy weather, but the skies will remain clear and we should have an uninterrupted match.
After getting blanked in the Test series, Sri Lanka were quite naturally low on confidence ahead of the limited-overs leg of the South African safari. A loss in the first game of the three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series saw their fortunes go further downhill. One more defeat would have brought the curtains down for them in T20Is as well. But the team showed grit and spirit, which was missing thus far, to not just win the second game, but also the third T20I and with it the series. Sri Lanka came from behind to script a series win when the doors were almost shut for them. They find themselves in a similar position once again on this tour. Full Cricket Scorecard: South Africa vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI at Johannesburg
Having lost the first two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) of the five-match series, Sri Lanka once again have their backs to the wall. Winning the series from here is perhaps a far-fetched dream, especially looking at their current performance. But cricket, we know, is an unpredictable game, and they still have three more games to contest in the series. They can still win it, the way they did in the T20I series. But for that, they will first have to win the third ODI, which will be played at Johannesburg on Saturday. It is going to be their final chance to keep the series alive.
The odds are stacked against Sri Lanka. They have lost the first two ODIs by big margins. While in the first game, their batsmen let them down, bowlers were predominantly responsible for their defeat in the second game at Durban. On a wicket which resembled a sub-continental track and suited their kind of game, the Sri Lankan spinners failed to deliver. As a result, South Africa managed to put up 307 batting first where 250 was considered a winning total. Their skipper Faf du Plessis and explosive middle-order batsman David Miller struck fine hundreds and scripted the win.
[read-also]572978[/read-also]
“He is not just a power hitter, he is a smart batter as well now,” du Plessis, who was the Man of the Match in the second ODI and shared in a 117-run fifth-wicket stand with Miller, said of him. “He has become a real world-class batter now. He knows that 30s and 40s are not what’s going to make him a great and he is beginning to believe he can do more now and that is obviously going to win us games of cricket, which is fantastic and it’s going to make him into a world-class batter,” he said. However, Miller has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a finger injury, and that should comfort Sri Lanka.
The islanders though will be focussing on addressing their own worries. Their batting has not clicked as a unit as yet, their bowlers have not delivered and to make things worse, their fielders too have been sloppy. If they are to turn the things around, they will need to iron out their flaws quickly. Sri Lanka had made a couple of changes to the playing XI in the last game. At some point, they will realise too much chopping and changing won’t help them. They need to back the players and give them confidence. Another chance at Johannesburg will perhaps help them.
For South Africa, barring Miller’s injury, all looks hunky-dory. Farhaan Behardien looks set to replace him in the third ODI. Rest of the squad looks settled.
The weather at Johannesburg is expected to be sunny for the match day. Though the forecast suggests partly cloudy weather, but the skies will remain clear and we should have an uninterrupted match.
The two teams have met four times at the Wanderers so far, sharing the honours by winning two games each. Sri Lanka may not have the services of their inspirational skipper Angelo Mathews, who single-handedly turned their fortunes in the T20Is, but they will look to take inspiration from his heroics to stage a similar comeback in the ODIs. The record at this venue and Miller’s absence should also give them some hope against the mighty hosts.
Squads:
South Africa (From): AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.