SA v SL 3rd ODI, Preview: Do or die game for visitors in the pink ODI

Sri Lanka have had a tough tour to South Africa this season. They were totally outplayed in the Tests. The way the young side came back strong and turned the tables in the T20Is gave a lot of hope to the fans. The win in T20I series set the ideal tone for an evenly matched ODI series prospect. However, things got back to grey for the Sri Lankan team as they lost the first 2 ODIs of the five-match series. The major reason why Sri Lanka have failed to put up a contest in ODI series thus far is their poor batting line up.

Barring a few odd moments of glory, the batsmen have largely failed and often at a collective level. South Africa, on the other hand, boasts of big guns like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis. The action now moves to the third ODI of the series. It is a must-win game for the visitors as they are trailing 2-0 in the series. A defeat in the third ODI will mean a series loss and they have everything to play for. The stage is set for the pink match when the Proteas will don pink attire and the Wanderers, Johannesburg is set to go pink.

Team News

South Africa

South Africa find themselves in a happy position in the series. Having won the first two games, they are the clear favorites going into the second. The form of Faf du Plessis has been sublime since the home series against Australia last year. They have been rocked by the last moment injury to David Miller.

Miller had been the main man for the hosts in the 2nd ODI where he scored his fourth ODI ton. Farhaan Behardien is the most likely man to replace Miller in the playing eleven. A big knock from AB de Villiers is round the corner and the team management would want him to repeat his heroics in the pink attire. It was in a pink game when he had smashed the fastest ton in ODI history a couple of years ago.

The bowling looks set as well with Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell being the ideal support for Kagiso Rabada. Imran Tahir has had his moments in the series thus far and is expected to play a big role on a track which has often been a batsman’s paradise.

Sri Lanka

The visitors are in a spot of bother as they are yet to find a perfect balance in their lineup. The inexperience in the batting line up has seen them being unable to cross the 200-run mark in the series so far. Kusal Mendis will be expected to show resilience at the wicket. He has had a relatively quiet tour thus far.

The visitors have also been at a confused stance over the batting position of their skipper. Upul Tharanga, who has 13 centuries to his name as Sri Lankan opener, is batting in the middle order. Given the struggle that the rookies are facing, it only makes sense to reinstate Tharanga in the top order.

Lahiru Kumara, who put up an impressive show in the Test series, might make his debut in the game. Seamer Lahiru Madushanka might also be roped in at the expense of batsman Dhananjaya de Silva. Sri Lanka have failed to take early wickets and hence the addition of pacers could work for them.

Toss: South Africa won the toss and opted to field

Playing XI

South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Farhan Behardien, Chris Morris, D Pretorius, A Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir

Sri Lanka: N Dickwella, W Tharanga, K Mendis, D Chandimal, D de Silva, DAS Gunaratne, LD Madushanka, S Pathirana, S Lakmal, L Sandakan, C Kumara

StAttack

1. In the 11 innings across the three formats thus far on the tour, none of the Sri Lankan batsmen has scored a century.

2. South Africa have never lost a pink match.

3. The last team to beat South Africa at the venue was Sri Lanka. They beat South Africa by 2 wickets. Only three players from that match feature in this line-up – Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal.

4. The match will be Faf du Plessis’s 100th ODI.

5. In the last 6 ODIs that he has played, he has 4 scores in excess of 50 which includes two centuries.

6. AB de Villiers averages close 98 in pink matches.

7. South Africa have two scores of 400-plus at the Wanderers in ODIs.

Watch: Faf du Plessis thanks teammates ahead of his 100th ODI

I’m so thankful for my teammates and their kind words.honour and a privilege to be part of this team and represent ur country in 100 ODI’s. pic.twitter.com/ddINA10WIe

— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) February 4, 2017