Upbeat after a demolition act in the second Test in Nagpur, Virat Kohli-led India will be eager to carry forward the momentum when they take on a below-par Sri Lanka in the third and final Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Saturday. The Kotla track may not be as flat as the one at Jamtha, where India scored a mammoth 610/6 declared but it also won't be a green top like the one they got at the Eden Gardens. The last time New Delhi hosted a Test match was in 2015. At that time, it was rated as the best pitch in display during the series as the match against South Africa went deep into the fifth day. (Live Scorecard)
After the flop show in the first innings of the first Test, Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul enjoyed a fruitful second innings with scores of 94 and 79, respectively. Murali Vijay, who was surprisingly kept out of playing XI for the opening Test, came into the side in the second game in Dhawan's absence and scored a brilliant 128. Now with Dhawan back in the squad, it is indeed a happy problem for skipper Kohli, who has to choose two quality openers among three. India are 1-0 up in the series which could have easily been 2-0 had Kohli and his men got an extra 45 minutes on the final day of the rain-curtailed first Test that ended in a draw.
Catch live score and updates of the 3rd Test, Day 1 between India and Sri Lanka straight from Delhi
08:40 IST: The ongoing Test series initiated with India, Sri Lanka registering a draw in the rain-marred first match. Later, in the second game, the hosts thumped visitors to clinch victory by a mammoth innings and 239 runs.
With a 1-0 series lead #TeamIndia is here in Delhi for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/mmK5PtaIPD
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 1, 2017
08:38 IST: It will be interesting to see whether captain Kohli returns to his old composition of fielding five batsmen, five bowlers and a wicket-keeper. He had fielded four bowlers in the Nagpur Test and all of them delivered.
08:37 IST: The Kotla wicket might offer a traditional display of Test cricket with the pitch sustaining the wear and tear over the five days.
08:36 IST: India will also eye on equalling a record of most consecutive Test series wins. Currently they are on a eight-series winning streak and a win or a draw in Kotla will pull them level to the record which is jointly shared by Australia and England.
08:35 IST: After taking an unassailable 1-0 lead, India will aim to clinch the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
08:30 IST: Hello and welcome to the Live coverage from the opening day of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
The year 2018, starting with three Tests against South Africa followed by the two marquee away series -- five matches against England and four against Australia at the back-end of the year -- will define Kohli's character as a leader and also his ability of his team. Therefore, it will be a good chance for the likes of Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin to rack up some more enviable numbers which will do a world of good to their confidence. Facing a Sri Lankan side, which has been nothing short of an embarrassment, is not the greatest of challenges but for world's No 1 Test side, it will be an opportunity to get some much required match practice, which they unfortunately won't get in South Africa save a two-day game.
