Sri Lanka vs. West Indies, 1st ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
West Indies will hope a change in format will result in an upturn in their fortunes when the one-day series against Sri Lanka gets underway on Sunday.
The day-nighter at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is the first of three 50-over matches between the teams.
The hosts swept the recent Test series 2-0 and sit above their opponents in the current ODI rankings published by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
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The series will continue to be a trial by spin for the men from the Caribbean, though slow left-armer Rangana Herath—who claimed 15 wickets in the two Tests—is not part of Sri Lanka's squad.
Date: Sunday, November 1, 2015
Time: 2:30 p.m. local (9 a.m. GMT, 4 a.m. ET)
Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Live Stream and TV Info: Rupavahini Corporation (Sri Lanka), Ten Sports (India), Willow TV (subscription required)
Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, Sunday's game could be bothered by rain. A thunderstorm is expected to hit the area during the day, while showers could also hold up play in the evening. Looking at the current forecast, cricket's good friends Duckworth and Lewis could be getting involved.
Overview
The series is about more than just short-term success.
Per the ICC's official website, Sunday's ODI kicks off the battle to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Honestly, the "battle" is on to reach a tournament just over six months after the last one finishes.
The top eight nations by the end of September in 2017 will qualify automatically for what will be a 10-team event held in England.
While Sri Lanka are sitting pretty in fifth place, West Indies currently occupy eighth position in the rankings. They are level on 88 points with Pakistan, who have an upcoming series against England.
West Indies can secure a five-point haul with a 3-0 series sweep, though they have only won three times in 11 previous attempts against their hosts on Sri Lankan soil.
Sunil Narine's return should aid their bid for success. He has not played an ODI since August 2014, with the spinner not featuring in the Cricket World Cup earlier in the year due to concerns over his action, per ESPN Cricinfo.
West Indies have not played a 50-over match since going out of the tournament at the hands of New Zealand at the quarter-final stage, meaning Narine has had to wait to make his international comeback.
From the XI that featured against the Black Caps in Wellington, New Zealand, in March, Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Darren Sammy and Sulieman Benn are all missing. Only Gayle, who is recovering from back surgery, has been left out for health reasons.
Carlos Brathwaite is one of the new faces in a 15-man squad. He impressed in West Indies' one and only warm-up match, smashing 113 from just 58 deliveries against a Sri Lanka Board President's XI.
Brathwaite walked to the crease with his side struggling at 109 for seven but proceeded to share in an astonishing partnership worth 193 with Andre Russell, who made 89.
Shehan Jayasuriya and Danushka Gunathilaka both played for the President's XI in that fixture.
They were part of a side captained by Lahiru Thirimanne, who made 41 in a run chase cut short by bad weather, meaning West Indies won on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The trio could now come up against West Indies again after being named in Sri Lanka's squad, along with uncapped leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
However, the home selectors have also turned back to some familiar faces.
Lasith Malinga was dropped for the final match of Sri Lanka's last one-day series, against Pakistan at the end of July, but is included in a 15-man party.
There is also a recall for fellow pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekara, as well as slow bowler Ajantha Mendis. Spin will still be the key for the Sri Lankans, despite the absence of Herath.
Key Players
Sri Lanka
Milinda Siriwardana was named man of the match in the second Test against West Indies.
The all-rounder made scores of 68 and 42 in a low-scoring game in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He also picked up five wickets with his left-arm off-spin, helping the hosts secure victory by 72 runs.
His efforts earned praise from his captain, Angelo Mathews, per Andrew Fidel Fernando of ESPN Cricinfo: "He [Siriwardana] has been a brilliant player in past couple of months in ODIs, and coming into Test arena showed no nerves at all. He was just cruising through with his batting. His bowling also came in handy, we needed someone who can bowl a few. He is more than a part-timer."
Siriwardana has only played five ODI games so far, averaging 30.25 with the bat and 26.33 with the ball. He will now want to build on what has been a solid start to his international career.
West Indies
After injury cut short his Cricket World Cup campaign, Darren Bravo has been recalled by West Indies to add some solidity to what will be a new-look top order.
The left-handed batsman made 24 from 53 deliveries against the Sri Lankan Board President's XI—an innings that rather sums up his one-day career to date.
Bravo is an elegant player who averages 32.64 in the format. However, his career strike-rate sits at 70.49, and he can at times get bogged down in the middle overs.
Likely to bat at three but without the comfort blanket of the big-hitting Gayle in front of him, the 26-year-old from Trinidad must find a way to counter Sri Lanka's plethora of spinners on what will be slow, low tracks.
Squads
Sri Lanka
Angelo Mathews (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Shehan Jayasuriya, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathilaka
West Indies
Jason Holder (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor
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