Buzz missing as teams arrive for 3rd ODI

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian and Sri Lanka cricket teams got a subdued welcome on their arrival in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening for the third ODI to be played at the Greenfield Stadium here on Sunday. Despite the teams being almost at full strength, not many turned up to greet the players at the airport unlike in the past. Barring the odd chant of 'Kohli Kohli', there was not much fanfare when the players walked out of the airport towards their team buses.
The fact that India has already taken an unassailable lead in the three-match series has reduced the third ODI into a dead rubber. That has meant the ticket sales for the match have been progressing at a sluggish pace.

Indications are that not even 50 percent of the tickets for the match have been sold. "The general interest for this ODI series has been low-key as we didn't have huge turnouts in Guwahati and Kolkata either. We don't expect a sell-out crowd for this match in Thiruvananthapuram as the fate of the series has been decided. Also, the match starts at 1.30 pm. Most of the fans don't want to sit in the heat and watch the match as they are now used to the T20I matches which start at 7 pm. However, we are hopeful that there will be an increase in demand for tickets in the next two days as the game is being held on a Sunday," said Kerala Cricket Association secretary Vinod Kumar.
Dravid absent
Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid was the only prominent figure missing when the teams arrived in Thiruvananthapuram. It is learnt that Dravid, who was feeling unwell during the second ODI, took an early morning flight from Kolkata to Bengaluru after the match to take rest and undergo health check-ups. His presence for the third ODI in Thiruvananthapuram remains doubtful.
Meanwhile, both teams are scheduled to practice at the Greenfield stadium on Saturday. The Sri Lankans have scheduled their practice from 1 pm while the Indian players will be hitting the nets later in the evening. Given that the ODI series is already in the bag and the back-to-back series against New Zealand and Australia are coming soon after, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Indian team management opts for an optional practice session on Saturday.