After a dramatic start to the ODI series with a tie, India and Sri Lanka now move to the 2nd ODI cricket match on August 4 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Rohit Sharma had an impressive start to the series. In the first ODI, he scored 58 off 47 balls, including 7 fours and 3 sixes. Virat Kohli (24 off 32 balls) was dismissed after a steady start. Shubman struggled before getting out for 16 off 35 balls.
Shreyas Iyer (23 off 23 balls) had a decent start to his comeback series. So did KL Rahul. Rahul (31 off 43 balls) and Axar Patel (33 off 57 balls) steadied the Indian batting after the Men in Blue had lost 5 wickets. Shivam Dube (25 off 24 balls) almost clinched victory for India.
In bowling, Indian spinners had an impressive day at work. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar and Washington dominated Lanka batters.
In the 1st ODI, Pathum Nissanka (56 off 75 balls) looked outstanding with the bat while most other Lanka batters struggled. Dunith Wellalege remained unbeaten at 67 off 65 balls after giving his team enough push during death overs.
Captain Charith Asalanka was unimpressive in batting. But, he compensated with the ball by taking 3/30 in 8.5 overs. In fact, he was the one who should be credited for forcing a tie while India looked all set for another victory. Wanindu Hasaranga was also impressive. He took 3 wickets, including those of Kohli and Rahul.
India and Sri Lanka have played 169 ODI cricket matches against each other. India have won 99 of those while Sri Lanka have won 57. Twelve matches did not produce any results.
The last time Sri Lanka won an ODI match against India was in July 2021. India set a target of 225. Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets with 48 balls remaining, as per D/L method.
Spinners had a great run at Premadasa on August 2. The scenario is likely to continue. In the 1st ODI, Sri Lankan spinners claimed 9 out of 10 wickets. For India, however, it was more balanced. Indian spinners took 4 out of 8 wickets even though they troubled the hosts much more than the pacers.
As per AccuWeather, on August 4, there is a 73% chance of rain in the afternoon and a 70% chance in the evening. The 1st ODI was unaffected even though rain was predicted throughout the match. Fans hope the same thing will happen in this match.
The temperature will be around 28-30 degrees. The humidity will be high at around 80%.
Indian spinners will also play a key role in this match. It will be interesting to see if Riyan Parag gets a chance to play. He is an explosive batter who proved successful as a spinner in the T20 series.
Just like India, Sri Lanka are also likely to depend on their spinners. Watch out for Nissanka and Wellalage as batters.
The 2nd ODI match will be played on August 4 whereas the match is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM (India time). Sony Sports Network will broadcast it live on TV. The online live-streaming will be shown on the SonyLIV app.
