India v Sri Lanka First ODI Tips: Lankans face step up in class

• Barsapara for batters

• Kohli and Rohit have ground form

• Sri Lanka need to bat first

India v Sri Lanka
Tuesday 10 January, 08:00
TV: Streamed on ESPN

Team news

The big three are back for India. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all included in the squad after missing the T20 series success. KL Rahul is also in.

Suryakumar Yadav, fresh from his sensational ton in the last T20, is also available. But if he plays one of Shubmann Gill or Shreyas Iyer, who have been the main rungetters in the last 12 months, may miss out. If both play, India may have to gamble on five bowlers.

Possible XI: Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Yadav, Rahul, Hardik, Axar, Shami, Bumrah, Chahal, Arshdeep

Sri Lanka will stick pretty close to the same team which performed creditably in the T20 series until they were blown away by Yadav. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is an absentee.

There's a spot at No 3 available with Avishka Fernando likely to be given a go. Nuwanido Fernando and Ashes Bandara are other options.

Dependant on the pitch, Sri Lanka could play two spinners. Jeffrey Vandersay has had an excellent 12 months and may pip Maheesh Theekshana.

Possible XI: Nissanka, Kusal, Avishka, Asalanka, Dhananjaya, Shanaka, Hasaranga, Karunaratne, Madushanka, Rajitha

Pitch report

There has been only one ODI at Barsapara. In October 2018 West Indies failed to defend 326. It has looked flat in T20, too. India's 237 was almost chased by South Africa (222) in October. We could have a run fest on our hands. Both teams to score 275 is 17/10 with Sportsbook.

Sri Lanka's avreage RPO in the last 12 months has them in for 274.4 and India are in for 288. Obviously the hosts are more reliable and a par line bang on that mark would be good although it's more likely that it will be pitch at the 290.5. More than 290 could also be available here.

How to play

Sri Lanka have one win in the last 11 in India against India in ODI. So the 1.292/7 about India is not a massive surprise. Going to toe-to-toe in T20 against a weaker hosts is one thing, this is another test.

And it's a test they've not faced for a while. Last year they faced only Zimbabwe, Australia and Afghanistan. And they lost one game to the latter.

India won three-zip in Colombo in July 2021 and when Sri Lanka visited England the same year they were outclassed. They really need to bat first on a flat one and get a foothold. If so, we'd only advise an in and out trade.

Tops value

The top match bat market is of interest. Virat Kohli is a spot of value at Sportsbook's 9/2. He has a career win rate which suggests he should be 4/1, the price of Rohit Sharma who cops at 17%. Kohli made 140 in that win over West Indies and took the match gong.

He's 7/1 for man of the match. Rohit was unbeaten on 152 and is 8/1. With batters expected to dominate it would make sense to put trust in a batter.