India look to fine-tune combination as Sri Lanka hunt for consolation win

Big picture - Why dead rubbers still matterIn 26 attempts across formats, Sri Lanka have never won a bilateral series in India. If you look at it through that lens, Sunday's ODI in Thiruvananthapuram is inconsequential, with India having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead. However, in a World Cup year, the teams would like to utilise every opportunity they get.India will be looking to fine-tune their strategy and XI. Should their top three continue playing the aggressive brand of cricket they have adopted so far in this series? Who among the two wristspinners - Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav - is their preferred option? Is Umran Malik ready for the big stage?Sri Lanka, perhaps, are still in search of a couple of pieces to complete their jigsaw. Pathum Nissanka scored 72 in the first ODI but missed the next one because of back stiffness. In his absence, debutant Nuwanidu Fernando scored a fifty to put his case forward. If Nissanka is available for the third ODI, whom do Sri Lanka leave out? It's a headache they won't mind.Form guideIndia WWWLL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first) Sri Lanka LLWLLIn the spotlight - Mohammed Siraj and Kusal MendisMohammed Shami might be the leader of India's pace attack at the moment, but Mohammed Siraj has had a bigger impact in this series, picking up five wickets at 12.00, with an economy rate of 4.73. He also seems to have grown more aware of his own strengths. In the second ODI, with the new ball not swinging, he switched to bowling wobble-seam and castled Avishka Fernando with a nip-backer to give India an early breakthrough.Kusal Mendis is by far the most experienced batter in this Sri Lanka line-up. He played some handy knocks during the T20I series, and looked good in the second ODI as well before being dismissed for a run-a-ball 34. If Sri Lanka are to challenge India, Mendis will have to bat longer.Team news - Will Chahal return?Chahal missed the second ODI with a sore right shoulder. If he is available for Sunday's game, it will be interesting to see if