India v Sri Lanka First T20 Tips: Back to basics with Yadav

• Wankhede suits batters

• Sri Lanka a trade option

• Yadav a bet at 16/5

India v Sri Lanka
Tuesday 3 January, 13:30
TV: Live on Now TV streaming

Team news

There's no Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah. Is this the future for India's T20 side? Maybe. Hardik Pandya captains with Sky Yadav his deputy.

Ishan Kishan looks certain to open. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubmann Gill or even Deepak Hooda could join him. Another certainty is Sanju Samson taking the gloves. Rahul Tripathi may be charged with a finishing role. One from Axar Patel and Washington Sundar gets the spin all-rounder gig.

Possible XI: Ishan, Hooda, Yadav, Hardik, Samson, Tripathi, Axar, Harshal, Arshdeep, Chahal, Umran

Sri Lanka will be pleased to get Dilshan Madushanka back into the fold. He was a loss for them in the World T20 and has given India problems.

They were disappointing in that tournament. The gung-ho play from the previous World Cup didn't materialise and in a competition of shocks, they didn't manage one.

Only Kusal Mendis cut loose with the bat and they need better strike rates from the likes of Bhanuka Rajapkasa and Pathnum Nissanka.

Possible XI: Nissanka, Kusal, Asalanka, Dhanajaya, Rajapaksa, Shanaka, Hasaranga, Karunaratne, Theekshana, Madushanka, Kumara

Pitch report

Twelve of the last 19 at the Wankhede have produced first-innings scores of 160 or more. It should be a decent batting track without the wear and tear of an IPL when all of that data is harvested from. Indeed, it is notable that 170 or more for both teams has been busted seven times. Sportsbook's 7/5 is a bit on the mean side, though. India for more than 170 on the runs market may be the play.

How to play

India are 1.364/11 with Sri Lanka 3.6013/5. If the energetic and thrusting Sri Lanka team from the 2021 World Cup turns up, they might be a play.

Or the team that chased with aggression against India in Dubai in the Asia Cup and would eventually trump the infamous toss bias to win the final against Pakistan.

With some of the India players perhaps unsure of their roles, Sri Lanka can be a trade option batting first and making use of a potentially flat wicket.

Tops value

Yadav was a go-to bet in 2022. Nothing will change in 2023. The 16/5 that he tops scores for India with Sportsbook is a bet, particularly as he could now go in at No 3. Hooda at 11s is noteworthy because he could open. Hardik will want the No 4 slot so 7s is also big.

For Sri Lanka Rajapaksa and ski Dasun Shanaka are oth faithfuls at 11/2 and 11/1 respectively.