Two matches, two easy-as-pie wins, and India look well on course to seal the series with another victory in the 3rd ODI in Hyderabad against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
India have been authoritative, driven and just plain good in the first two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka – bowling well, fielding brilliantly and batting, well, like they always do at home.
The India skipper for the moment -- Virat Kohli – spoke about ruthlessness and the need to finish teams off, knowing pretty well, it is the kind of characteristic that the best teams in any sport have.
"What we are trying to achieve is being ruthless rather than letting situations slip away," Kohli said. "In the past we have seen that we have sort of got eight wickets and let the last two players to get away with it [alluding to the nice partnership that Angelo Mathews and Dhammika Prasad put up in the second ODI in Ahmedabad, which helped Sri Lanka push the total past 270].
"So, collectively we have decided as a team to keep the foot on the pedal and not let the opposition get away with anything.
"If you want to be ruthless, if you want big and convincing wins, it's very important to address the issues that happened when you score a resounding win so that you can increase the margin of victories and improve those small little areas. That's the kind of hunger and that's kind of vision that we are trying to instil into this team going into the World Cup."
Yes, the wins in India do not matter so much as the conditions in Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup that the men in blue will defend will be completely different. But then, winning is the kind of habit, which once gotten hold of, is a wonderful one to have, and the kind you never want to let go.
"We want to win every game we play and that's the kind of passion these guys have inside them," added the ever-passionate Kohli. "It's just about bringing it out.
"As far as trying youngsters, I think we have to keep in mind that we have to take the team that is close-knit going into the World Cup. We have to let those perform their roles better rather than experiment too much at this point of time."
The fact that India have won the first two games against the formidable Sri Lanka without their superhero captain MS Dhoni bodes well for the future, and another victory in the 3rd ODI in Hyderabad will only lift those confidence levels just that little bit more ahead of a undoubtedly gruelling Australia tour.
For Sri Lanka, it will be about just showing some spirit and look like they actually want to be playing in this series. The batsmen have not done their jobs in batter-friendly conditions, while the relatively inexperienced bowlers, more often than not, were always going to struggle against India's willow-wielders.
"I think we're slowly getting better, but I'm disappointed and embarrassed by the fact that we were not competitive enough against the Indians," said Sri Lanka skipper Mathews after the scathing defeat in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
"They thrashed us in the first ODI and also here. It was a convincing performance by them. We need to get our game up in the next few games to win against them."
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The 3rd ODI match is scheduled for a 1.30 pm IST (8 am GMT, 4 am ET) start with live coverage provided in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD1. The third one-day international between India and Sri Lanka can also be watched via free live streaming online by audience in India on Starsports.com.
Viewers in the UK can catch all the action on Sky Sports 2 or by choosing a live stream online on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports Online. US viewers can catch the game on Willow TV or Willow TV Online, while Middle East and North Africa viewers can watch the match on OSN or OSN Play. Audience in Africa can watch the match on SuperSport or via live streaming on SuperSport online.
Team news: India: Kohli went with three spinner s in the 2nd ODI, and it remains to be seen if the home team go with the same combination again or if Dhawal Kulkarni or even Stuart Binny gets a go.
Sri Lanka: Mathews will probably want to persist with the same team, almost willing them to show their true selves, but Nuwan Kulasekara could finally get a game.
Confirmed lineups: India: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli (capt), Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Akshar Patel, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Angelo Mathews, Ashan Priyanjan, Seekkuge Prasanna, Chaturanga De Silva, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Gamage.
