India's probable playing XI for the fourth ODI 

The Indian team has already won the first three match of the five-match ODI series and is set to take on the Lankans in the fourth ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 31.

Before the series, skipper Virat Kohli has confirmed that the Indian team will experiment in the ODI series and till now, they have been playing with the same XI. With the series already in their kitty, the Indian team is expected to make some changes to the playing XI as they are looking to try out few players ahead of the 2019 World Cup.

It won't be a surprise if Kohli, who has been playing non-stop cricket in the last couple of years, sits out of the playing XI to try new players.

How will India line up for the fourth ODI? Let us take a look at the probable playing XI for the first of the two inconsequential ties.

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Openers

No Ajinkya Rahane for the fourth ODI

The selectors have picked four opening batsmen in the Indian squad and out of those four, KL Rahul was batting in the middle order with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan taking part in all the three matches.

Rohit Sharma was unlucky to miss out on runs in the first ODI as he was run out in a bizarre manner. In the second ODI, he scored a fifty that set the tone for India and went one step ahead in the third match by scoring a match-winning century.

As the right-hander didn't play in the West Indies ODIs and the Test series against the Lankans, the team management is unlikely to give him rest as he had enough of the that since the Champions Trophy. Also, it won't be a big surprise if he leads the team in the fourth ODI as Kohli might sit out of the match to manage his work load and give chances to the other players.

In all likelihood, Shikhar Dhawan, who scored a century and 49 in the first two matches, will open with Rohit in the fourth ODI and Rahane might get the nod in the top of the order for the fifth ODI.

Middle-order

It's Manish Pandey time!!

As mentioned in the previous slide, there are chances that Virat Kohli might be given a rest for this match. So, Manish Pandey is likely to take the skipper's place in the team and will bat at number 3. The Karnataka batsman is in a rich vein of form in this format and will look to continue it in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

Before the series, the selectors have said that they are going to try out KL Rahul at number 4 in the series. Though the right-hander played both his previous innings at number 4, he failed to make a big impact as he got out for a single-digit score in both the innings. As per the team management's previous experimentation, Rahul will bat at no. 4 in the fourth ODI.

Coming into the series, a lot of uncertainties were surrounding his future. But, the man has silenced his critics in style. MS Dhoni will continue to bat at number 5 in the fourth ODI.

All-rounders

The team management will give him chances as series like these will help him gain confidence

Kedar Jadhav might have failed in the last two matches after struggling to figure out Akila Dananjaya's variations. At the same time, the right-hander hardly got chances to show his worth with the bat.

He has been impressive in the willow whenever he got a chance before the start of the series. It will be unfair to drop him after just two failures. At the same time, he has been giving the captain few overs with the ball and is pitching in with wickets regularly. In all likelihood, he will be given a chance in the next couple of matches.

Hardik Pandya has been handy with the ball in the first three matches and with the bat, he got out cheaply in the only time he got a chance to come out to the middle with the willow in his hand. The team management will give him chances as series like these will help him gain confidence and grow as a bowler.

Spinners

No point in having Kuldeep Yadav in the team without playing him

This is one more area where we could see a change. After waiting in the wings for the first three matches, chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav could get a chance to play in the series.

To be fair, both the spinners, who played in the first three matches were pretty decent in all the outings they had and the team management will be tempting to unleash Kuldeep before the series comes to an end. It is very difficult to drop either of them for their performances.

But, in all likelihood, Yuzvendra Chahal might be asked to sit out of the fourth ODI to accommodate Kuldeep.

Axar Patel will retain his place in the XI, thanks to the experience he brings in to the team and his ability to score some runs with the bat down the order.

Pacers

Boom boom Bumrah

Indian pacers have been brilliant in the series. Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been doing an excellent job both with the new ball and at the death.

Apart from these two, there is also one more pace in the Indian squad and the team management could give him a chance to express himself in an inconsequential tie.

Shardul Thakur, who has been travelling with the Indian squad for a while, could get a look-in if the team management wants to experiment in this match.

If Thakur makes his debut, he is likely to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has bowled very well in the series without getting any rewards.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has been the leading wicket-taker in the series, will retain his place in playing XI not just because he has been bowling well, but because he has already had enough rest after the Champions Trophy.