West Indies tri-series: India vs Sri Lanka- Five players to watch out for

Virat Kohli (file photo)

The right-handed batsman was dismissed early on in the innings against the West Indies even though he showed some glimpses of his form. He has been a bit unlucky in the recent past with his dismissals but he looks to be on the verge of a big innings. He has a penchant for the bowling lineup of the Lankan lions and will be eager to make a significant contribution. The surfaces are slow and difficult for the batsman who comes in after a dismissal and hence it is of paramount importance that if a batsman scores big if he manages to get a good start.

2. Mahela Jayawardene

Jayawardene was stroking the ball well in the first innings but failed to capitalize on that and therein lay the reason for Sri Lanka’s defeat. He is critical in that middle order given the vulnerability of Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne. The greatest part of the responsibility of scoring runs in this team lies on him and Kumar Sangakkara. They are high quality players who can negotiate any attack but Jayawardene holds the edge on slower surfaces. He uses his feet effectively against spin. So, if he is around in the middle overs, Sri Lanka can bottle one end up when Jadeja and Ashwin are bowling in tandem.

1. Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan’s sensational rise in international cricket has been a boon for Indian cricket as they needed someone to fill Virender Sehwag‘s shoes. Dhawan offers a bit of that with his ability to dominate the bowling attack but has the ability to switch gears in testing conditions. His early dismissal in the game against the West Indies was a rare failure but he looked in good touch during his short stay at the crease. Indian fans will be expecting him to come with a big knock once again.