Sri Lanka will take on West Indies in the first match of the ODI series, set to begin on October 20 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The hosts, led by Charith Asalanka, will look to carry forward the momentum from their recent T20I series win against the Caribbean side.
West Indies, under the leadership of Shai Hope, will aim to bounce back after a 2-1 defeat in the 3-match T20I series. Both teams will be eager to make a strong start in this ODI leg, with the Pallekele pitch likely to offer a competitive battle between bat and ball.
After clinching the three matches of the T20I series by 2-1, the Sri Lanka cricket team turned their head towards the One Day Internationals as they set to lock horns against the West Indies in the three matches of the ODI series, set to commence from October 20 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
SL vs WI : Previous Performances of Sri Lanka and West Indies
West Indies have had a great start to the T20I series but the hosts bounced back very well to win the second and third games to grab the series. Charith Asalanka and his men carry momentum with them, heading into the forthcoming ODI series. The host’s biggest strength seems to be their spin department, which makes them top favorites here.
It’s worth mentioning that Charith Asalanka led the Sri Lanka team has recently thwarted Team India in the ODI series by 2-0 which was played in July and August. Notably, the West Indies cricket team needs to address their batting against Islanders spinners, or else they might lose in the ODI after losing in the T20I series. The Lanka Lions are placed at the seventh spot in the ICC Men’s ODI rankings whereas the West Indies cricket team is in the 10th tenth spot.
West Indies took the advantage in the T20I series after winning the first match by five wickets. However, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback in the next two matches and beat them to seal the series. The home team will be looking to ride the momentum from the T20I series and win this match to start the series well. On the other hand, West Indies will aim for a strong comeback in the ODIs and look to begin their redemption arc from this game itself.
Having come back from behind to claim the T20I series, hosts Sri Lanka gear up for their next challenge — taking on a circumspect West Indies side in one of their strongest formats at home.
West Indies, however, need to quickly regroup following their series loss. Preparing themselves for the grueling ODIs ahead is going to take a big mental shift. Having bossed the opening T20, West Indies would be kicking themselves at not being able to carry their momentum from the first T20I into the second and third match. With a dominant win like that, they might have had their sights on rounding off a stellar year with yet another trophy to add to their cabinet.
But Sri Lanka turned up finally and put the men in maroon in a lot of trouble. They looked a totally different side when the pitch had its role to play, and having outdone West Indies with spin, Sri Lanka would not shy away from stacking their side up with spinners in the ODIs too.
SL vs WI : Head to Head
In the 65 matches played between these two teams, Sri Lanka and West Indies are tied even with 31 wins each with 3 matches forced into a no result.
SL vs WI : Pitch Report
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium sets to provide an offer to both bat and the ball equally. However, spinners might be dominant here as compared to the pacers. The weather seems to be sunny and ideal for the cricket. There is a 12% to 6% chance of rain at the stadium during the SL vs WI 1st ODI match on Sunday, October 20. Hence, the match will not be affected by rain. The pitch is spin-friendly and spinners will be in more focus during the match.
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy is known for its batting-friendly pitch. The surface is generally flat and true, providing good carry for batters. Although the new ball may offer some early movement for the pacers, batting tends to become easier as the game progresses.
Weather: The weather during the game is expected to be cloudy with spells of thunderstorms. The highest temperature is expected to be around 30°C. As per AccuWeather’s forecast, there is a 40% chance of rain.
Pitch Report: The pitch is expected to be batting-friendly, especially when the ball is new and hard. But as the game goes by, the spinners will come into the game as the wicket slows down. As the weather is expected to be overcast during the match, the seamers might get help from the track with the new ball.
About 55% of the ODI matches played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium have been won by the team chasing. So, the stats suggest that the chasing team might have a slight advantage at this venue.
SL vs WI : Vital Stats that matters
- Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup final defeat to India is their only loss in the last ten ODI matches at home.
- West Indies will be hoping to improve their abject record in Sri Lanka, where they have just 3 wins from 17 matches.
- Shai Hope with 575 runs from 10 matches against Sri Lanka holds the key for WI.
SL vs WI : Team News
Sri Lanka Preview
A come-from-behind series victory is always special and Sri Lankan players will feel positive heading into the ODI leg of the tour with a massive confidence boost.
Making the transition from T20 to ODI shouldn’t be a problem for the hosts, because the core of the team is still going to be intact. There’s the impressive Pathum Nissanka up top, offering solidity. And partnering him will be Avishka Fernando with Kusal Mendis slotting in at #3 to keep the runs flowing early on in the game. Sadeera Samarawickrama is known for chalking up runs steadily, and the captain Charith Asalanka who clinched the ODI series in August against India 2-0 will be looking to extend their dominance at home.
In the past five years, Sri Lanka have been involved in 10 bilateral series and have only lost one- to India in 2021. They have reigned supreme, winning 21 of the 29 matches with a result. On the bowling front, the usual suspects, Hasaranga, Theekshana, and Vandersay will take on job of dismantling the West Indies batsmen. Following his man-of-the-series heroics against India in August, Wellalage will be hoping to contribute to the bowling cause and make that extra bowler place in the side his own.
Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk.), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana.
West Indies Preview
Having failed the Lankan spin challenge in the last two T20s, West Indies batters are now faced with the difficult prospect of taking on an equally dangerous spin attack on testing pitches in a longer format— and it doesn’t bode well at all for them. Besides, ODI is not a format that West Indies really fancy their chances in.
They wouldn’t usually back themselves to win in the ODIs against most sides in the world, like they would in the T20s. Worse yet, with just 3 wins in 17 ODI matches in this part of the world, West Indies have always found Sri Lanka a tough place to visit.
Shai Hope, who has been their best ODI player by far in the past few years, has a good record against Sri Lanka, with 2 centuries from 10 matches, and one of that came in Colombo 4 years ago. Evin Lewis, another experienced player in the squad, hasn’t toured Sri Lanka in this format, and will be hoping to build on his lovely record of 356 runs from 5 games including 2 centuries.
Their bowling roster isn’t heavy on experience and they’d be mostly fielding a side with several new faces, but the likes of Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase should take charge and show the youngsters how to operate in these pitches.
West Indies Predicted Playing XI:
Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c/wk.), Alick Athanaze, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Alzarri Joseph, Hayden Walsh, Gudakesh Motie.
Sri Lanka vs West Indies Fantasy XI : Kusal Mendis, Brandon King, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kamindu Mendis, Romario Shepherd, Dunith Wellalage, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Maheesh Theekshana, Alzarri Joseph
SL vs WI : Key Battles in the Match
Pathum Nissanka vs Romario Shepherd
Pathum Nissanka showed wonderful form in the T20I series and is also part of the ODI series. He will look to smash runs all over the park. Romario Shepherd was the leading wicket-taker for the camp and will look to outplay him.
Kusal Mendis vs Gudakesh Motie
Kusal Mendis scored the most runs for the home side in the T20I series and Gudakesh Motie is a crucial spinner for Sri Lanka. The battle will be amazing to watch out for.
Brandon King vs Maheesh Theekshana
Brandon King slammed a half-century for WI in the previous campaign and Maheesh Theekshana got the most wickets for Sri Lanka. The latter will look to outplay the WI opener as soon as possible.
SL vs WI : Match Prediction
The hosts are too strong to take on in this venue where they’ve won pretty much everything. With several team members continuing to do their roles well, Sri Lanka will be hoping to strike a blow early in the series, trying to take of advantage of the inexperience in the West Indies side. Sri Lanka to win and go 1-0 up in the series.
Sri Lanka won the T20I series despite West Indies having won the 1st T20I match. However, the hosts will look to win the ODI series too to impress their fans. West Indies lost the T20I series but will look for a better show in the ODI series.