India Faces Sri Lanka In Decisive 3rd ODI: Pitch And Weather Update

Rohit Sharma's India will face Charith Asalanka's Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI of their series at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, August 7. The match is set to begin at 2:30 PM.

"It's a very warm afternoon. The breeze that is blowing across is warm. We have moved a couple of strips across. The pitch is dry. Very similar to the one we played on a couple of days ago. The gaps between the cracks are pretty wide. There's going to be a lot of crumbling. Captain winning the toss would want to bat first. The key as a batter is to hit the gaps and run, wear the opposition down," Russel Arnold said ahead of the toss in 2nd ODI.

The first ODI ended in a draw, while Sri Lanka won the second by 32 runs. Chasing 241, India were bowled out for 208 despite a strong start with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting up a 97-run opening stand.

Thunderstorms are expected in Colombo at various times on August 7: from midnight, then between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM, again from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and finally from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. However, no rain is predicted after that period. The match will start at 2:30 PM with temperatures around 29-30 degrees Celsius and humidity at 80 percent. Wind speeds will be close to 19 km/h.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first again in the second ODI. Indian spinners took six wickets while Mohammed Siraj claimed one wicket, and two Sri Lankan batsmen were run out.

Viewing Options for IND vs SL 3rd ODI

The live streaming of India vs Sri Lanka's third ODI will be available on the SonyLiv app and website. Sony Sports Network will broadcast the match live on TV starting from 2:30 PM IST.

In response, India were dismissed for 208 in just over 42 overs with Sri Lankan spinners taking nine wickets, including Jeffrey Vandersay's six-wicket haul.

TV Channels Broadcasting IND vs SL Third ODI

Fans can watch the India vs Sri Lanka third ODI on Sony Sports Network channels - Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil or Telugu), and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD and HD.

In both ODIs so far, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have had significant partnerships but India's batting has struggled against spin. Nine Indian wickets fell to spin in each match with Jeffrey Vandersay picking six wickets in the last game.

The average score over the last five ODIs at this venue is just 165 runs. Spinners have taken advantage here with pacers also making early breakthroughs. In these matches, teams winning the toss have chosen to bat first about 83 percent of the time over the past five years.

Sri Lanka's spinners were dominant in both ODIs, taking nine wickets each time. They even played with only one pacer in the second game.

The pitch conditions suggest that spinners will continue to play a crucial role while pacers might get some early movement as well.

The series stands balanced with both teams having shown strengths and weaknesses, making this final match crucial for deciding the winner.