ODI Tri Series: Preview Of Sri Lanka vs West Indies

November 15, 2016

Sri Lanka take on West Indies in the second One Day International (ODI) of the Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday (16 November).

Overview

Sri Lanka's tour of Zimbabwe has been a very successful one so far, registering a clean sweep of hosts 2-0 in the Test series while also thrashing them by eight wickets in the first ODI on 14 November (Monday). Putting the hosts into bat, the visitors bowled them out for 154 in the first innings while chasing down the target in less than 25 overs.

Asela Gunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva were the stars of the show for the visitors, the former picking up three for 21 with the ball while the latter scored an unbeaten 78 runs. Sri Lanka have come in to this series with a weak squad with a number of important players missing through injury. Both regular skipper Angelo Mathews and vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal are unavailable.

The team management were a little concerned ahead of the tour in relation to the inexperience of the squad but so far the youngsters have shown promise and will look to this clash to further consolidate their places in the team for the coming future.

West Indies come into this clash on the back of a morale boosting win against Pakistan in the third Test at Sharjah. Despite eventually losing the three-match series 2-1, the players would have taken confidence going into the Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series.

The Men from Caribbean too have made a number of changes to their limited overs squad, dropping senior players Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Dinesh Chandimal over poor form while sending back key-batsman Darren Bravo due to off-field indiscipline.

Wicket-keeper batsman Shane Dowrich, batsman Jason Mohammad and fast-bowler Miguel Cummins have been drafted into the squad in their place which means that just like their opponents, they too will be fielding a relatively weakened side come 16 November (Wednesday).

Team news

Sri Lanka

Squad: Upul Tharanga (c), Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Nuwan Pradeep, Asela Gunaratne, Shehan Jayasuriya, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Dasun Shanaka, Jeffrey Vandersay.

West Indies

Squad: Jason Holder (c), Suliemann Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Shane Dowrich (c), Miguel Cummins, Jason Mohammed, Shai Hope.

(IBT)