With the series tied 1-1, it's everything to play for for Sri Lanka and Pakistan as they two teams slug it out in the 3rd ODI in Dambulla on Saturday.
Where to Watch Live
The 3rd ODI match is set for a 10 am local time (10 am IST, 9.30 am PST) start with live TV coverage on Ten Cricket and Ten HD in India and Ten Sports in Pakistan. Watch the match via live streaming HERE. Sri Lanka viewers can watch the match on CSN or live online via live stream HERE. Viewers in the US can watch the game live on Willow TV while the action can also be live streamed HERE. Watch the match on TV in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa on SuperSport and live streaming online HERE.
Having pulled off a comprehensive 77-run victory in Hambantota in the 2nd ODI, Sri Lanka managed to keep the series alive going into the final one-day international.
While bowling has always been Sri Lanka's strength, it is the batsmen that have raised their hands and stood up to the test, with the bowlers, particularly the seamers, not quite as effective as one would have expected.
The likes of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, so important to Sri Lanka in limited-overs cricket, have not been able to find their groove in the series so far, but that is not worrying Mathews too much, knowing full well class will eventually tell.
"Not really worried about Lasith and Kule," Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews said. "For example, if Kumar Sangakkara or [Tillakaratne] Dilshan or Mahela Jayawardene fail in a couple of innings, we're not going to throw them out because we know the class that they have in themselves.
"Lasith and Kule know their mistakes and they will come back. We need to be patient with them because sometimes people can have rough patches and they will turn up and win you games. They are that quality. They've always been our pressure situation bowlers and we need to have faith in them. We don't need to get panicked. We still have time. We'll go with them."
Pakistan have been typically mercurial in this series, one time brilliant, and another below-par, but if they can get a real score of note from their top three/four, then they have the batsmen in the lower middle/order to see them through as Fawad Alam and Sohaib Maqsood showed so brilliantly in the 1st ODI.
Pakistan have received a huge fillip with the return of Saeed Ajmal, after the off-spinner underwent tests in Australia following questions about his action. The veteran will give Pakistan some much-needed control in the middle and late overs, and a potent, attacking, wicket threat as well, with the spinner able to come on at any time and do damage.
"It really makes a difference especially with the kind of pitches here," Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said about the return of Ajmal. "Saeed Ajmal always makes a difference in the last overs. It was really difficult the way it was turning [in the second one-dayer]."
Expected lineups: Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews (capt), Seekkuge Prasanna, Ashan Priyanjan, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga.
Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan.
