Sri Lanka vs India 3rd T20I Betting Tips 29/07/2021

10:42, 29 Jul 2021

Senior Author

10:42, 29 Jul 2021

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.

The third and final T20I between Sri Lanka and India will be played on July 29 (Thursday) at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match is scheduled to begin at 8pm IST.

Teams Status

India

Just hours before the start of the second T20I. India were rocked when it emerged that they will be without eight more players for the remainder of the series. Those eight were deemed to have come in close contact with Krunal Pandya, whose positive Covid test is at the centre of all this mess.

Nine absentees meant that India were left with just 11 eligible players – all of whom played the second T20I, which India ended up losing by four wickets.

The makeshift side batted first and as expected, struggled for runs, managing just 132 runs on a difficult wicket.

The total just wasn’t enough to have been defended. Even then, the tourists made a match out of it. and if it weren’t for Chamika Karunaratne’s clutch six in the penultimate over and Dhananjaya de Silva’s unbeaten 40-run knock, even this third-string India side might have even won it.

The final match will also feature the same line-up, which means that that game could also be a close one.

Sri Lanka

India’s misery proved a blessing for Sri Lanka. They would not have been able to beat a side studded with so much IPL talent but the Covid hit the Indian camp and the host were ready to pounce.

With the ball, they did not pick up too many wickets – in fact, they only got five Indian batsmen out – but they kept them suffocated and gave up only a measly total.

Dasun Shanaka did a nice job of mixing up his bowlers and used eight options in total, of whom the best was Akila Dananjaya, who picked up two wickets and conceded just 29 runs.

With the bat, their victory owed a great deal to Minod Bhanuka (36) and Dhananjaya de Silva (40*).

The islanders, thanks to this result, are in a position to score a rare series win over India.

What do the Sportsbook Say

Brand	Sri Lanka	India
	2.21	1.664
	2.21	1.664
	2.20	1.66

India are still the favourites for the final T20I. Both 22Bet and Melbet have them priced at 1.664 and Sri Lanka at 2.21. Lastly, Betway has India available for 1.66 and Sri Lanka for 2.20

Tipster’s Angle

Tip: India to win @ 1.66

The best time to bet on a favourite team is when they’ve just been upset. And India have just lost. It means that the odds we’re going to get on India for the final T20I are the highest we’ve seen for them on this tour. Granted that this is a significantly weakened side but it still has more match winners than Sri Lanka. We back their IPL stars to get the job done. The play can be found on Betway.

Tip: Top batsman India – Shikhar Dhawan @ 2.988

Despite all the problems India are facing, a T20I series defeat to Sri Lanka in a World Cup year will be unacceptable back home. Hence, we expect Shikhar Dhawan, the captain, to take matters in his own hands and showcase his class. We believe he will be a key contributor for India with the bat. The play can be found on 22Bet.

Conclusion

India are weak but even their fringe players have that air of confidence about them that cannot be taught or replicated – at least not easily. Hence, we’re taking the risk and backing them to secure a slim 2-1 win.