India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test: India Predicted XI

The third and final Test match of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka is all set to commence on December 2 in Delhi. Ferozshah Kotla Stadium will host its second international match in the space of one month as the first T20I against New Zealand was also played at the same venue. The hosts won the second match by an innings and 239 runs and have gained an upper hand with a 1-0 lead. Sri Lanka will look to make a comeback in the final Test and register their first ever Test victory in the country thereby level the series as well.

Virat Kohli led Indian side is looking too good for the likes the inexperienced visitors who were literally annihilated in Nagpur. Though they would not want to take anything for granted and keep the same intensity on the field and seal the series by 2-0. Dinesh Chandimal, on the other hand, has always urged his team to fight back and a couple of spirited performances are enough to spark the other members of the team.

The Test match will also mark the end of the mega home season for India in the longest format of the team.

Here we look at the predicted XI of India for the third Test in Delhi:

Openers (Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan)

Murali Vijay is expected to keep his place in the side after announcing his return to the international arena in Nagpur. His knock of 123 at the top provided the solid platform for the batsmen to come and dominate the Sri Lankan bowlers. It never seemed he was coming back after a gap of almost 8-9 months and looked fluent in his shot-making. Vijay would love to get another big score under his belt before embarking on a tough South Africa tour.

Shikhar Dhawan has returned to the squad after he was released for the second Test due to personal commitments. He will slot back into his opening position to replace KL Rahul who has been disappointing in this series so far. Dhawan was in good touch in the second innings at Kolkata and would look to continue from where he left. His aggression at the top is much required for the team as he takes the game away from the opposition very quickly.

Middle Order (Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma)

The solid middle order will be same for the world number 1 side as Cheteshwar Pujara will bat at first drop followed by the skipper Virat Kohli. Both of them were absolutely brilliant in the last game and literally played with the bowlers of Sri Lanka. While the former played the waiting game, the latter attacked the already dispirited players and fielders. Both are fresh off big innings and would love to continue playing the same way in Delhi.

Ajinkya Rahane is the only worry at number 5 in the batting line-up which looks perfect otherwise. He has struggled in three innings in the series and needs a decent score to feel confident in the middle. Though the team management is not worried about his form, Rahane himself will be feeling a little bit uneasy after a string of low scores. His overseas record is exceptional and it is important for him to be confident when he goes out to bat against Proteas.

Rohit Sharma broke his silence with the bat after 500 days of exile in Test cricket last week with a magnificent century. Kohli spoke of game-time to the batsman and included him in the team and will most likely play in Delhi as well keeping in mind his role in South Africa. He has done his chance no harm by batting aggressively in Nagpur and would like to play the same way.

All-Rounders (R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja)

The duo might be playing together for the last time as there is a little chance of them featuring in the team together away from home. R Ashwin has been excellent with the ball and reached the milestone of 300 in just 54 Tests. He also became the fastest to achieve the feat. However, the bigger test awaits him in 2018 and would mean business in Delhi to keep himself going in the same vein where the pitch is known to be spin friendly.

Ravindra Jadeja, the left-arm spinner, is equally important for the fortunes of the team and is one of the best fielders in the squad. His impeccable line and length keeps the batsmen guessing which has mostly worked in his favour so far. The final Test of the series and the home season will be crucial for him as he would love to pick a sensational five-fer. He would also like to contribute with the bat and bring his all-round game to the fore.

Wicketkeeper (Wriddhiman Saha)

There is no doubt in the minds of anyone as far as the position behind the wickets is concerned. Wriddhiman Saha is the best player for the job behind the stumps in the country and has done justice to his selection. He is the old-fashioned cricketer who makes keeping look so easy and batting as well. His doggedness with the bat lower down the order has reaped rich rewards for India in the past and would be a key player as far as DRS is concerned in the upcoming series.

Bowlers (Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma)

Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma are set to be the new-ball bowlers for India at Ferozshah Kotla. Mohammed Shami might be kept under observation given his fitness issues and the important tour is also coming up. Yadav though needs to find his line soon as he looked lost in Nagpur and could only pick up a couple of wickets. Kohli would love to get his pace battery ready for the series in South Africa and Umesh needs to deliver big time now.

Ishant Sharma was the talking point during the second Test for the way he bowled. He spit venom with each of his delivery and bamboozled the batsmen with his pace. He kept crossing 140 kph mark and subsequently proved his match fitness by bowling long spells. He bowled a total of 26 overs in the match and returned with the figures of 5/80 which would please any skipper. His experience will be very important in South Africa and just needs to keep himself away from injuries.