Who’s In? Who’s Injured? A Look at India’s Likely XI vs Sri Lanka

With 3 from the original 15 already home, watch as we guide you through the likely XI India will play in the 3rd test

Virat Kohli has one eye on history and the other on his dwindling team sheet as he looks ahead to the third and final test against Sri Lanka that starts on Friday morning in Colombo.

Having finally picked up his first victory as the Indian test skipper in the second test last week, Kohli can now dream big. He can now dream of leading the first Indian side that wins a test series in Sri Lanka for the first time in 22 years.

However, that’s simply much easier said than done.

Three players from India’s original 15-man squad are back home with injuries. But it’s not the lack of replacements, instead it’s the problem of plenty that may give Kohli a selection headache.

So, how does he play this one out? Where do the latest replacements -Naman Ojha and Karun Nair- fit into the XI? Will Cheteshwar Pujara finally get a game? And is this good news for Harbhajan Singh?

All the answers will be available at toss tomorrow... but what’s a match without a little speculation.

So here goes. Here is India’s likely XI against Sri Lanka.

1. Cheteshwar Pujara

Murali Vijay’s hamstring ruled him out of the first test and now it’s got him sitting out of the third one as well. In the middle he contributed with a valuable 82 in the second innings but what now? Who opens?

The team started with three openers on the tour and with two out with injuries, lo and behold - Cheteshwar Pujara gets to step up for what will be his first game since the Boxing Day test last year.

Since then, the guy has played for Saurashtra, for Yorkshire(a choice he made, giving up a lucrative IPL deal) and for India A as recently as last month.

But what’s a guy who comes at one down going to do as an opener? Well, in his last three opening stints for India - Pujara has in fact held his ground and averages a solid 101.5.

2. KL Rahul

For the next three spots, why fix something that has finally seems to have fallen in place.

3. Ajinkya Rajane

4. Virat Kohli

5. Rohit Sharma

6. Naman Ojha

With Bengal keeper Wriddhiman Saha also having pulled a hamstring muscle, Naman Ojha was called in as the replacement.

Utilised as an opener in the one ODI he played for India, Ojha has a lot stacked against him coming in to bat so late. But what’s a cricketer without a challenge right?

7. Harbhajan Singh

Stuart Binny in the second test and Harbhajan Singh in the first. Both picked a wicket each. Both got just a match each. In fact Binny wasn’t even used in the second innings as the Lankan wickets tumbled on Sunday.

So who does Kohli pick? The old war horse of the four match old “all-rounder”

Our take: Go with Harbhajan Singh! Five bowlers you say, give it another shot!

The rest of the bowling unit pretty much choses itself. But here’s another look anyway.

8. R Ashwin

9. Amit Mishra

10. Umesh Yadav

11. Ishant Sharma