India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super 4 Highlights: Four-star Kuldeep snaps SL's winning streak as IND enter final

Rohit giving his Sri Lanka counterpart something to think about. Shanaka sends the first ball wide and then it is chipped just over extra cover. He then goes fuller on the pads and Rohit puts it between mid-on and midwicket. Meanwhile, the opening stand has gone past 50, again!

Pathirana strays on the pads for the last ball of that over and Gill punishes him. Gill sends it in front of square leg. 

The baby Malinga, who is now fairly experienced himself, comes in to bowl his first over in the ninth. Shubman Gill facing him. India are 44.0 in 8 overs, Rohit on 23 off 31, Gill on 14 off 17.

Rohit Sharma gets to 10,000 ODI runs with the most sumptuous of shots! He has also gone past Shahid Afridi's record for most sixes in the Asia Cup, with this one being his 27th. Good length delivery for the fifth of the seventh from Rajitha. Rohit meets it with a lofted straight drive. Just the most perfect timing on it and the ball sails over the sight screen.

Well India have effectively got six runs off the third ball of the seventh over. Rajitha goes down the leg side and the keeper stands no chance first up, it goes to the boundary. The second time the keeper does get it but it is wide down the leg side nonetheless.

Shanaka strays on Rohit's pads for the second last ball of the 6th over and the Indian captain nails the timing on his flick. Charith Asalanka seems to have got to it at the boundary but the ball pops out of his hands as he rolls after diving and darts over the boundary.

Both players on 12, Rohit has got there in 20 balls, Gill off 10. Dasun Shanaka now replaces Theekshana for the sixth over.

Second ball of the fifth from Rajitha, Gill comes down the track and sends it over mid-off to the boundary. Fantastic shot from the Indian opener.

Just the one boundary thus far in the first three overs, which is quite different from what was the case against Pakistan. However, it has to be noted singles and doubles have come easily for the two batters because of which Rohit is on 9 off 13 while Gill is on four off five.

Just three runs from that second over from Theekshana. Two for Gill and one for Rohit.

Rohit took a single after that four after which Gill ran two runs. Both openers off the mark for India. Mahesh Theekshana comes in for the second over and so spin straightaway from Sri Lanka. 

Rohit started off with three consecutive leaves, then sends the fourth crashing through covers.

Right, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are out there with the Indian captain taking guard as usual. These two have two century stands in this tournament. Rohit 22 runs away from 10,000 ODI runs remember. Kasun Rajitha to bowl the first over for Sri Lanka.

The two sets of players have lined up adjacent to each other. First comes Sri Lanka's national anthem, and then India's.

“We would have batted first as well. They are pretty strong side compared to us but we have to play a good game, we will somehow try to win the game. We are going with the same team.”

So, India have chosen to keep Rahul and Bumrah in the XI while they are hot. They also have a deeper batting lineup, Axar Patel is a far more sure bet with the bat than Shardul Thakur, despite the latter's tendency to do utterly, ridiculously, extraordinary things right when you think that all is lost. On top of all that, Sri Lanka will have to deal with potentially 30 overs of high class spin bowling. At least on paper, there are going to be no honeymoon phases for them in their innings.

“We are going to have a bat. That's the challenge you come across as a sportsman, different challenges thrown at you as a player and as a team. We ensured everyone got into the pool after the game last night. They are fresh as we had five days off before these two games. Last game was good for us, we batted well and then came out to defend the total with some good bowling. But again this is a new day and a fresh game. The pitch looks different, looks a lot drier and there's no grass and hence we bring in Axar for Shardul. It might assist the spinners but we also have three quality pacers.”

Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana

India win toss and choose to bat first. Rohit says Axar Patel will play as the third spinner. 

Sanjay Manjrekar and Matthew Hayden point out that there is no grass on the pitch at all today, as opposed to what was the case yesterday. Manjrekar says that today will be all about batting well, doesn't matter if you do that first or second.

MS Dhoni's legacy is obviously has largely been to the benefit of Indian cricket but such is his impact on players that foreign players in CSK have also improved under him. Today, India will come up against that part of Dhoni's legacy that would hurt them. Matheesha Pathirana and Mahesh Theekshana have been players transformed after their two-year stint with CSK and they have been the driving force of Sri Lanka's unbeaten run in this tournament. 

Rain? What is that? At least that is what you would think when you see the R Premadasa right now. It is absolutely bathed in sunlight. But that is how it was day before yesterday as well at the start of the match between India and Pakistan, before everything became wet and mucky. 

Sri Lanka were unbeaten since the World Cup qualifiers but they came into this Asia Cup as a rather depleted side. For one, their biggest star Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out with injury. As were Dushmantha Chameera (pectoral tear), Dilshan Madushanka (oblique tear), and Lahiru Kumara (side strain). And yet, they have gone about their business almost as if they are missing no one, with a different player putting their hand up in each match.

The three matches India have played in the Asia Cup have also been a demonstration of just how important Hardik Pandya is for their cause in the World Cup. He bailed India out with the bat in the first match against Pakistan. Then he bowled seven overs against Nepal and broke a good partnership by dismissing Dipendra Singh Airee and yesterday, he bowled five intense overs and took the all-important wicket of Babar Azam. There is a chance that India might choose to rest him and maybe let Axar Patel or Shardul Thakur get some overs and runs today.