After winning the coin toss, Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka decided to bowl first, citing the dew as the cause of his decision. Rohit Sharma, his Indian rival, said he would have made the same decision but was looking forward to the challenge of defending in low light. During a Monday media interaction, Rohit essentially confirmed his starting lineup, thus there were no significant surprises. Fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, on the other hand, received his ODI debut from Sri Lanka.
India will look to build on their successful start in 2023 as they prepare for the ODI match against Sri Lanka after winning the T20I series 2-1. While 2022 was all about T20Is, 2023 will be dominated by ODIs considering the 50-over world cup scheduled to be held later this year. The Rohit Sharma-led team will be seeking to take advantage of home advantage to end their ICC trophy drought as the ODI showpiece returns to India for the first time in 12 years. To make that happen, though, India must assemble a core team that will be finely balanced between young and elderly and will be prepared for the task in the coming months.
However, India will benefit greatly from the return of the old guard, which includes Shreyas Iyer, Rohit, Kohli, and KL Rahul. In the 10-month period leading up to the World Cup in October-November, India has a jam-packed ODI schedule with 15 matches (excluding the Asia Cup), and the key will be to manage the workload while also juggling the Indian Premier League and the eagerly awaited Australia Test series.
