IND vs SL, ICC World Cup 2019: India to solve middle-order puzzle against Lanka ahead of semis

A win against Sri Lanka can take Virat Kohli's men to the top of the points table provided Australia lose their final game against the already ousted South Africa

With already qualified for the World Cup 2019 semi-finals, Team India will look forward to ending the league stage on a winning note when they lock horns with Sri Lanka on Saturday at Headingley. The clash is a dead rubber which gives Kohli and team management a chance to solve the middle-order puzzle before heading into the knockouts. The middle-order puzzle has remained unsolved and it has increasingly looked that Indian team management has been heavily dependent on Plan A, which is a success from their top-order. Hence, there cannot be a better opposition than Sri Lanka where Indians can check out some other combinations, including giving the fiery Ravindra Jadeja, some game time ahead of the last four clashes. Vijay Shankar's replacement Mayank is already here but his best friend KL Rahul, with a couple of fifties, has ensured his place at the top of the order alongside Rohit, who would be gunning for a fifth World Cup hundred. On the other hand, having struggled right through the tournament, this will be Lanka's ultimate chance to redeem themselves when they take on Virat Kohli's men at Headingley. More than the lack of ability, it has been a case of lack of consistency as the Lankan players have shown individual brilliance in phases. A win against Sri Lanka can take Virat Kohli's men to the top of the points table provided Australia lose their final game against the already ousted South Africa. So they might have a lot to play for as a pole position and a possible semi-final against a New Zealand team on a downward spiral will be more welcoming than facing a dangerous England which is on an upswing. Squads: India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav. Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Jeevan Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kasun Rajitha, Isuru Udana, Suranga Lakmal, Milinda Siriwardana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Thisara Perera, Avishka Fernando.