Sri Lanka and India will face off in the second ODI of their three-match series on Sunday, August 4. Both teams will be eager to secure a win after the first ODI ended in a tie.
**In Short:**
– Sri Lanka and India will compete in the second ODI.
– The first game of the series ended in a tie.
– There’s a chance of rain affecting the second ODI.
Both teams are in the same position they were at the start of the series since neither has secured a win after the first ODI ended in a tie. The challenging pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo made batting difficult, resulting in both teams scoring 230 runs after a close contest of 587 balls.
As a result, the second ODI on Sunday, August 4, at the same venue will start afresh. Both teams struggled with the slow pitch in the series opener, which became even harder to bat on under lights. Indian batters struggled to maintain their wickets, placing the finishing duties on Shivam Dube, who was relatively inexperienced.
Dube, playing only his second ODI after a five-year break, contributed a crucial 25 runs off 24 balls, bringing India close to a win. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka faced difficulties after choosing to bat first, with Pathum Nissanka scoring a determined half-century (56 off 75) but lacking support from other batsmen.
When Sri Lanka was struggling at 101/5, Dunith Wellalage stepped up impressively for his age. His gritty unbeaten 67 off 65 balls combined aggression with composure, helping Sri Lanka reach a competitive score of 230/8.
Later, in the second innings, as Rohit Sharma was dominating the Sri Lankan bowlers, Wellalage made a crucial impact by dismissing both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, giving his team a chance by exposing India’s middle order.
The second ODI is expected to provide more opportunities for players to shine, with another spin-friendly pitch likely. India will look for strong performances from their middle order, particularly from Virat Kohli, while Sri Lanka will hope for key contributions from their batsmen as both teams vie for the series lead.
**Head-to-Head Records:**
– **Overall**:
– Matches Played: 169
– India Wins: 99
– Sri Lanka Wins: 57
– Tied: 2
– No Result: 11
– **In Sri Lanka**:
– Matches Played: 67
– India Wins: 32
– Sri Lanka Wins: 28
– Tied: 1
– No Result: 6
**Weather Forecast and Pitch Report:**
Rain is expected, particularly in the evening, which could affect the game. The pitch is likely to remain conducive to spin, giving spinners an advantage.
**Probable Playing XI:**
– **Sri Lanka**:
– Avishka Fernando
– Pathum Nissanka
– Kusal Mendis
– Sadeera Samarawickrama
– Charith Asalanka (Captain)
– Janith Liyanage
– Dunith Wellalage
– Wanindu Hasaranga
– Akila Dananjaya
– Mohamed Shiraz or Maheesh Theekshana
– Asitha Fernando
– **India**:
– Rohit Sharma (Captain)
– Shubman Gill
– Virat Kohli
– Shreyas Iyer
– KL Rahul
– Shivam Dube or Riyan Parag
– Washington Sundar
– Axar Patel
– Kuldeep Yadav
– Mohammed Siraj
– Arshdeep Singh