Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Ground, Dharamsala
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Average score at venue (1st inns): NA
Win percentage while batting first: NA
Pitch conditions:
- The pitch at the Himachal Pradesh cricket Association ground in Dharamsala is excepted to support batsmen but not a lot has been known about this value which no more posts in Indian T20 league matches and has not been able to host international games either, for weather playing the spoilsport for more occasion than one.
Weather prediction:
The second game of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka could be washed out, given that it has been raining in the picturesque city and the weather prediction is not strong enough to raise hopes for a full contest. The temperature is expected to be around 6°C during the match hours on Saturday night.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (overall):
Matches played: 23
India won: 15
Sri Lanka won: 7
Tied: -
No result: 1
In India:
Matches played: 12
India won: 9
Sri Lanka won: 2
Tied: -
No result: 1
Top 3 players from India: Venkatesh Iyer, R Sharma, Ishan Kishan
Top 3 players from Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dushmantha Chameera
Top picks for H2H/WTA contest (top 5 players each):
Top 5 players from India: Venkatesh Iyer, R Sharma, Harshal Patel, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer
Top 5 players from Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Kusal Mendis,
Q & A:
Should I pick more bowlers, batsmen or all-rounders?
The first T20 international witnessed India winning the contest on the back of excellent batting, with their top order firing in unison to power them to a total which was around 200 runs. The Sri Lankans could not trouble the scorers at all, scoring only 137/6 in their reply. Adding move to the batting strength will be the right approach for this contest given that India and Sri Lanka will be playing on a fresh pitch in Dharamsala where the in-form Indian batsmen would want to make merry once again.
From which team should I pick more players in my XI? Which team is stronger?
Sri Lanka are a team which has been on a downward spiral without having doing anything significant to arrest the slide — this has been a case with them for last 2-3 years now. The island nation has plenty of players who have the promise but they need time to find their feet and start playing together as a unit, something that is not a challenge for a clinical outfit like India, thanks to the Indian T20 cricket league. India have a well-balanced squad with plenty of batting options to move around with and their bowling department has been bolstered with the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who has also been named their vice-captain of the tour. India are the sun the side in the series and should have more players featuring in the playing XI.
MORE INFORMATION: India have picked an extremely strong squad in the series against Sri Lanka as the hosts they are favourites to continue with their winning juggernaut, which has now extended to 10 matches in the format against multiple opponents. The home team is not expected to make any drastic changes to their playing XI for the match on Saturday as they look to seal the series in the second game itself. On the other hand, this contest also provides Sri Lanka with a test character and resilience if they are to keep the series alive and take it into the third match which will be played on Sunday.
Players’ form: India were bolstered with a splendid 89 by wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan in the first match along with a superb 57 not out by their middle order batsman Shreyas Iyer. On the other hand, Sri Lanka batsmen could not trouble the scorers much but their No 4 Charith Asalanka scored a vital half-century in a game in which their star batsman Pathum Nissanka was dismissed on the first ball itself. Sri Lanka are expected to be without the services of their star spin bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has not yet been announced fit after suffering from the coronavirus.
Changes in squad (if any): NO
Likely XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lahiru Kumara
Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma, Pathum Nissanka, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (c&wk), Charith Asalanka, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
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India look to seal series against Sri Lanka
India are expected to continue with their winning juggernaut which has extended to 10 T20Is — a run that began in the T20 World Cup — when they take on Sri Lanka in the second game of the three-match series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Ground in Dharamsala on Saturday. The third and final match of the series will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
The hosts India won the first match on Thursday in Lucknow by a huge margin of 62 runs which highlighted the gap between the two teams. India amassed a total of 199/2 batting first, with Ishan Kishan smacking a quickfire 89 and Shreyas Iyer power in himself to 57 from only 28 balls. In their reply, Sri Lanka were totally outplayed by the Indian bowlers and despite a fighting half-century from their No 4 batsman Charith Asalanka, they could only manage 136/7 in their 20 overs.
India are the stronger team for the series and should be able to wrap the series on Saturday, with the third and final game of the series set to be played on Sunday — which means that the two teams will be pushed to the hilt as far as bringing out performances is concerned. But the hosts are likely to take the opportunity as yet another chance to test their bench strength, something that was evident by the fact that they used as many as seven different bowling options in the first T20I.
Despite their riches in talent and the huge pool of players to pick from, India continue to have their own challenges. The fielding department has left a lot to be desired, with the Indian team dropping as many as three catches on Thursday in the first T20I — an area they want to improve.
The visiting side Sri Lanka have been depleted further with spinner Maheesh Theekshana and batsman Kusal Mendis being ruled out of action due to hamstring injuries. The visitors are already missing their X-factor player in the form of Wanindu Hasaranga, who delivered vital performances against India in their series in August 2021, helping Sri Lanka win 2-1.
