India vs Sri Lanka 2017: India's predicted XI for third Test

After being forced to shake hands with a win in sight in the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team bounced back strongly and beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs in the second Test at Nagpur to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series.

One can expect the Indian team management to tinker with the team combination as this is the last match before India head out on overseas tours. But, with the hosts yet to seal the series, the selectors have named a full-strength team for the third and final match which will be held at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi from December 2.

Let us take a look at how the Indian team will line up for the third and final match of the series.

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Openers

After missing out from the playing XI for the first Test of the series, Murali Vijay sent a strong message to the team management on why he is still the team's best Test opener and why dropping him from the playing XI is a big crime by scoring a sensational century on his return to the field after nearly eight months. With this, he cemented his place in the side as an opener not only for the third ODI but also for the South Africa series.

After missing out on a well-deserved century in the first Test, Shikhar Dhawan asked for his release from the Indian side to attend his sister's wedding and missed the second Test. Now that the southpaw is back in the scheme of things, it is still uncertain whether Rahul will be retained in the team, especially after failing in the second Test and also the fact that this is the team's last chance to experiment ahead of the South Africa series.

Having said that, KL Rahul is someone who has been consistent with the bat for Virat Kohli and co. in this format and is expected to retain his place in the side in spite of the return of Dhawan.

Middle order

Cheteshwar Pujara is arguably one of the best Test batsmen in the world right now and the right-hander has been in ominous form over the past 18 months. Ever since Virat Kohli took over as captain, Pujara has stamped his authority on all the teams he has faced. With a gritty 52 in the first innings of the first Test and a stroke-filled 143 in the second, Pujara is unstoppable at the moment and will look to continue from where he left off in Nagpur.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has played every match since taking over at the helm and it's surprising that he has not given himself a break yet. There were reports that Kohli will miss the third Test to prepare himself for the South Africa tour but the 29-year-old has decided to play the third Test, instead opting out of the ODI series. With scores of 0, 104* and 213 in the ongoing series, it seems like Kohli is still hungry for runs and will look to get some runs under his belt on his home ground.

Middle order

Ajinkya Rahane has been one of India's finest batsman in Tests for the past four years as the Indian vice-captain has saved the team's blushes on several occasions away from home. Now, he is struggling to score runs, failing to score a total of 10 runs from three innings so far. With him being a crucial member of the side away from home, the team management will hope to see the Mumbaikar scoring some runs and finding form in the final Test.

Rohit Sharma was a surprise inclusion in the side in the second Test match and he has given the team management a new selection headache by scoring a century. Though his place in the Test side is not sealed yet, a good outing in the third Test will turn things around for the newly-appointed Indian ODI skipper.

Wriddhiman Saha, who has been doing a fantastic job for the team, both as a batsman and a wicketkeeper, will be part of the playing XI unless he suffers an injury on the eve of the match. Though he hardly got a chance to prove his skills with the bat in the series, Saha has done really well behind the stumps for Kohli's men.

Spinners

India's premier off-spinner R Ashwin became the fastest to take 300 Test wickets when he dismissed Lahiru Gamage in the second innings of the second Test and sealed the match in favour of the hosts. The offie has been on a rampage ever since India's home season got underway and with his workload being managed, he looks as deadly as ever.

Adding to his bowling abilities, he is a reliable option with the bat and the team management is giving him an extended run at the number six spot as the battle for the spin bowler's slot in the overseas tours is up for the grabs between the Tamil Nadu spinner and his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja.

Just like Ashwin, Jadeja has been in a completely different league, running through the opponents in the last 18 months. The third Test is likely to be the last match in which both of them play together for a while as the Indian team will be overseas for the next 18 months and only one among the two bowlers will be a part of the playing XI in those matches.

Pacers

In the second Test, Ishant Sharma replaced Mohammed Shami in the playing XI after the Bengal pacer suffered a niggle ahead of the match. The lanky seamer made an immediate impact and troubled the Lankan batsmen with some accurate bowling and ended up taking five wickets in the match. With that, he sealed his place in the side for the third Test in his home ground in Delhi.

In all likelihood, Umesh Yadav, who has been India's best fast bowler in Tests of late, will retain his place in the playing XI in spite of being inconsistent in the first two matches. However, it should not be a surprise if Shami gets back into the side at the expense of Umesh as the former looked threatening with the ball in the Kolkata Test.

So, for the first time since Kohli took over as the Indian Test captain, we might be able to see the same playing XI taking the field in two consecutive matches.