India will target an early series victory against Sri Lanka when they take the field for the second T20I of their three-match series at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune on Thursday, January 4.
Opening the innings, Ishan Kishan (37 off 29 balls) provided a quick start but a middle-order collapse saw India in a spot of bother, reduced to 94/5 in the 15th over when Hardik (29 off 27 balls) was dismissed. However, Deepak Hooda (41 not-out off 23 balls) and Axar Patel (31 not-out off 20 balls) stitched together a vital 68-run partnership to give their bowlers something to defend.
Shivam Mavi, making his T20I debut for India, picked up a wicket in every over he bowled, finishing with impressive figures of 4/22 to help reel in the visitors. The match went down to the wire with Axar successfully defending 13 runs in the final over to seal a 2 run victory.
While the performance was far from convincing, Team India can take heart in the fighting spirit they showed in tricky conditions. The spotlight will now be on stars who failed to make the most of their opportunity.
Shubman Gill (7 off 5 balls), another player who made his T20I debut in the game, looked tentative and will be eager to showcase his ability in this game. Ruturaj Gaikwad lies waiting in the flanks for his opportunity but it’s expected that Gill will be given a fair run to settle in the side. Yuzvendra Chahal too seemed far from his best, finishing wicket-less and conceding 26 runs from just 2 overs.
However, there were quite a few bright sparks for India, with Umran Malik (2/27) showing good control during his spell and also captain Hardik (0/12) bowling in good rhythm during his three-over spell in the powerplay.
Sri Lanka’s spinners asked quite a few questions of the Indian batters and they’ll be hoping for more of the same when they meet at the MCA stadium which is known to offer some good turn. Both Maheesh Theekshana (1/29) and Wanindu Hasaranga (1/22) looked in good form and will be hoping for a better return in the second T20I.
The Lankan batting department though will have to find a way to convert their starts with only captain Dasun Shanaka (45 off 27 balls) capitalising in the first game. Chamika Karunaratne (23 not-out off 16 balls) tried to pull off a late heist but ultimately ran out of partners late in the game.
Form guide (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India: W-T-W-L-W
Sri Lanka: L-L-W-L-L
Head to Head
Matches played: 27
India wins: 18
Sri Lanka wins: 8
No Result: 1
Pitch and conditions MCA Stadium, Pune: The track at the MCA Stadium is known to produce balanced encounters between bat and ball with an average first innings score of 153 in T20Is and 162 in domestic T20s. However, the black soil used to make the pitches also provides good turn bringing the spinners into play early in the game. The team winning the Toss will look to bowl first and chase as dew is also expected to settle in later in the game.
India vs SriLanka Probable Playing XI
India Probable Playing XI: Ishan Kishan (WK), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (C), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Sri Lanka Probable Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (WK), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (C), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka.
Where to Watch: The match begins at 7.00 PM IST. It will be broadcast on the Star Sports network. Online viewers can catch the action via the Disney+Hotstar app.
India vs Sri Lanka T20I Series Full Squads:
India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (VC), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara.
