Skipper Rohit and Co. eye for T20 series clean sweep

The bench strength is expected to be tested but India are unlikely to lower the intensity when they take on Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 series starting this evening at Cuttack, aiming to extend their dominance in the shortest format as well. The Test series in pocket, India, without inspirational skipper Virat Kohli, hardly broke a sweat to clinch the one-day series 2-1 and Rohit Sharma and Co. will look to polish off the T20I series on a perfect note. However, Twenty20 is a different ball game and India would look for a smooth transition to the shortest format, having endured a batting disaster in the first one-dayer. India do not have happy memories of the solitary T20I at the Barabati Stadium despite the fact that they lead Sri Lanka 7-4 on head-to-head count and are yet to lose against them in the last four outings. In the pace department, death bowling specialist Jasprit Bumrah will shoulder the responsibility after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was rested. Kerala pacer Thampi has shown his ability to bowl yorkers with consistency during his Gujarat Lions stint in the IPL. While India will have a bit of concern in the pace department, Yadav and Chahal are expected to deliver. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have lost five T20Is on the trot, starting from the match against Bangladesh in April. Former skipper Angelo Mathews, who scored a century in the second ODI, would be the vital cog in Sri Lankan wheel. The islanders would also hope that Niroshan Dickwella strikes form to give some stability to the middle order. Their otherwise ordinary bowling looked exceptional in Dharamsala where they bundled out India for 112 but since then, they have managed to take six wickets in two matches and they will have to buck up in all the departments of the game. Catch the live action on Star Sports Network, 6 pm.