India got off to the worst of starts possible, with a humiliating defeat at the hands of the visitors Sri Lanka. Batting first on a seaming Dharamshala, India got off to the worst of starts at 2/2. The Indian openers had no reply to the seaming conditions at Dharamshala, with the Sri Lankan bowlers bowling daunting lines.
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The only batsman, who could keep the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay was the former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni’s knock came at a crucial time for the hosts, as they mustered runs just beyond 100.
Sri Lanka’s chase was just a formality, as the Sri Lankans batsmen found the middle of the bat to leave the ground with a resounding victory.
However, things have to change for the hosts in the second ODI at PCA stadium in Mohali. The inexperienced middle order was a muddy mess, with Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya getting out cheaply before Manish Pandey followed suit.
Rohit Sharma’s fear of the swinging delivery was very well exposed by the Sri Lankan bowlers, who found the right length and line to dismiss the opener.
Shikhar Dhawan’s strategy of playing the new ball was equally messy, as the left-hander played the ball leaning away from the body, which resulted in a simple edge. The Indian bowling unit, however, looked sharp and caused a few issues for the Sri Lankan team.
Sri Lankan team:
For Sri Lanka, the batting line-up looked less wobbly and the bowling line-up looked extremely confident. The way the bowlers took on the Indian batting line-up shows that they are up for the task.
However, the opening combination of Lahiru Thirimanne and Danushka Gunathilaka will come under scrutiny if the duo continues to bat at this rate.
Except for the opening bowlers Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal and the first change bowler Nuwan Pradeep, Sri Lanka’s bowling option looked a little meek against MS Dhoni.
They would want to put up a brave performance in the second ODI as the pitch is a paradise for batsmen, while it may turn up as a nightmare for the bowlers.
Teams:
India is likely to make one change to their playing XI, as they would replace Washington Sundar with Kuldeep Yadav the bowler likely to sit out.
The top order of the team and the middle order are likely to stay compact while the bowling unit might remain unchanged.
Sundar, would not only play as a bowler but would also double up as a batsman of good stature. The rest of the line-up is likely to remain the same as India bite their teeth to equalise in the series.
Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (C), Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (wk), Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.
For the visitors, they are likely to retain the same playing XI, despite the poor form of Gunathilaka and Thirimanne.
Their bowling unit has looked solid, and Thisara Perera might not take the risk of spoiling a winning XI from their first ODI.
Predicted XI: Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella (wk),Thisara Perera (C) , Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep.
