COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and chose to bat first against India in their ODI opener on Friday.
India comes into the three one-day internationals after sweeping the Twenty20 series 3-0, while Sri Lanka will be looking to deal with their batting collapses in the T20 games after making good starts.
India is fielding a full-strength team at R. Premadasa Stadium, including captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli, as it looks to prepare for the Champions Trophy next year.
Sri Lanka is hit by injuries and illness, and has lost six front-line fast bowlers.
Uncapped 29-year-old fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz makes his debut for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Mohamed Shiraz.
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Members of the Indian team pose with winners' trophy after defeating Sri Lanka in three match Twenty20 series in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Manchester City’s stunning slump continued Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling. Pep Guardiola’s team has won just once during that run.
“We have to stay positive, even though it’s difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” City striker Erling Haaland said.
Phil Foden pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback.
City dropped to sixth in the standings — nine points below leader Liverpool, having played two games more. Villa climbed to fifth.
Nottingham is up to third after ending Brentford's unbeaten home record with a 2-0 win, and Newcastle routed Ipswich 4-0. West Ham drew 1-1 with Brighton.
City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping, with Guardiola admitting last week that he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around.
Defeat meant the once-dominant City is without a win in any of its last eight away games in all competitions. While it looks unlikely to win a fifth-straight title, a place in the top four and Champions League qualification could also be in jeopardy.
“We concede the goals we don’t concede in the past, we (don’t) score the goals we score in the past,” Guardiola said. “We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys. Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back.”
Only once under Guardiola has City managed to win the title when losing six times in the league. That was in the 2020-21 campaign, when it lost two of its last three games, having already been confirmed champion.
City lost nine times when Liverpool won the title in ’19-20, but its sixth defeat didn’t come until the February of that campaign. Guardiola also lost six times in the league in his first season in English soccer in ’16-17 and City finished third in the standings.
The latest defeat could have been even more emphatic against a dominant Villa.Duran scored his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute from Rogers’ assist.
Duran had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half and Rogers hit the post before doubling Villa’s lead in the 65th.
Foden’s goal in the third minute of added time came too late for City.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Newcastle United's Jacob Murphy celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Newcastle United at Portman Road, Ipswich, England, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Newcastle United at Portman Road, Ipswich, England, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga, centre right, shoots on target during during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga, right, celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola, center, and players leave the field at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Aston Villa's Jhon Duran celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Manchester City's Phil Foden reacts after Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
