India look to clinch series 5-0 when they take on Mathews & Co in the fifth and final ODI today
Rohit Sharma during a practice session in Ranchi on Saturday
Ranchi: Having decimated the opposition with clinical precision in all four matches, India will be aiming to complete a clean sweep when they take on a struggling Sri Lanka in the fifth and final ODI here today.
Rohit Sharma during a practice session in Ranchi on Saturday. Pics/PTI
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With the series already in their pocket, Virat Kohli-led team would like to finish with a 5-0 which will be a confidence booster with the ICC World Cup starting in less than 100 days' time.
If India have been thoroughly professional in their first three outings, the penultimate one at Eden Gardens, turned out to be historic with Rohit Sharma smashing his way into the record books with a highest individual ODI score of 264 as India routed the islanders by 153 runs.
Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews has admitted that nothing was going their way after a string of embarrassing failures. The worst part was that they were never able to give India any competition.
If the bowling has lacked the venom in absence of their sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, it's better not to say something about the fielding which has failed to give them the back-up.
Meanwhile, with the series already in pocket, the Indian team management has decided to rest senior batsman Suresh Raina for the fifth ODI today.
Sri Lanka players warm up in Ranchi on Saturday
Raina's unavailability would mean that India would now have a 13-member squad and it's quite likely that attacking Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav will make his international debut.
Jadhav, who came into the limelight with a 29-ball 50 for Delhi Daredevils on his IPL debut, was seen having an extended session at the nets and paying attention to head coach Duncan Fletcher.
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