When and Where to Watch West Indies vs Sri Lanka, Live Streaming, Match Preview, Timings, and Pitch Report for 3rd T20I

Everything, whether good or bad, comes to an end and so do cricketing careers. To undergo transition and rebuild another eleven that can knit up performances parallel to previous standards is one of the toughest challenges that teams face. And certainly, veterans of the game retiring in bulk, controversial appointments and ousters of management personnel, financial stringency, and lack of direction aggravates crisis. If there is one team that has been in the midst of all of this in recent years, it is Sri Lanka.

And it should not be a surprise, therefore, that they seem lost, struggling to maintain even a standard of an international team. Strangely, the contenders for winning the mightiest tag of World Champions in ODIs a decade ago; the champions of T20Is only half a decade ago have witnessed such incredible decline that their quest of excellence has now transformed into one of survival.

Sri Lanka lost every time it stepped out, across all formats, in the year 2020. Coming into the current series, they had a streak of seven losses behind them, which extended to eight when West Indies mauled them in the first encounter of the series to gain a lead. So severe has been the deficiency of victories for Sri Lanka that a routine 43-run victory seems to be a momentous occasion. And that it did arrive is a message that they can still do it.

They were vigilant in team selection, swift in their plan-execution, and aware of the situation. From Danushka Gunthalika and Pathum Nissanka getting amongst the runs at the top to their spinners rising to the occasion, nearly everything went the visitors’ way, as did the result. Although, not the entire team fired in unison – an issue they have been plagued with for long – and the concerns around the form of Dinesh Chandimal and Thisara Perera continue. Sri Lanka has opened the door of victories after a serious drought, they would not want it to make it look like a fluke.

West Indies, on the other hand, has had no dearth of troubles in their cricketing edifice, although unlike their struggling opponents, the status of things has not been as dire for them, at least on the field. They have bolstered their team by recalling many renowned stalwarts, and that has increased their stocks significantly. There is no parallel of West Indies and their potential when it comes to the shortest format of the game, and while one loss will not bother them much, they would not want to hand over the series to the visitors just like that.

Pitch and conditions

West Indies managed to kick the pitch out of the equation in the first game, although the surface has been evidently on the slower side in both fixtures. Sri Lanka’s choice of adding an additional spinner in the previous game is also suggestive that spin is the way out, and having picked seven wickets amongst them in the last game, the Sri Lankan spinners proved that theory correct. Expect another sluggish surface with ample assistance for the turners.

Playing combination for WI vs SL

West Indies

Chris Gayle’s return to international cricket has been cold thus far, and after scores of 0 and 16, he would want to do what he is known for. Any change in the playing combination, however, looks unlikely.

Predicted XI: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Kieron Pollard (C), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Kevin Sinclair, Obed McCoy, Fidel Edwards

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have handed a debut to Pathum Nissanka, who was the only notable performer in an otherwise ordinary show with the bat in the first game. Nissanka showed some promise through his knock in the previous game too, although the tourists would want the senior pros in Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, and Angelo Mathews to act more responsibly. They included Lakshan Sandakan in the lineup, who returned with excellent figures of 3/10. Sri Lanka is unlikely to tamper with the winning combination.

Predicted XI: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (C), Ashen Bandara, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Niroshan Dickwella, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Dushmantha Chameera

WI vs SL Head to Head

Played – 13 | West Indies –7 | Sri Lanka – 6 | Tied/NR – 0

WI vs SL Broadcast Details

Match Timings – 3:30 AM IST

TV and Live Streaming – Fancode