Encouraged by the excellent form of their top three batsmen, the Indian team will look to win the series against Sri Lanka (IND vs SL) in the second ODI on Thursday. Virat Kohli, who ended a three-year wait by scoring a century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in September, hit his 73rd international hundred in the first match in Guwahati on Tuesday, helping India win by 67 runs. Sri Lanka had to bear the brunt of giving him two lives in the first ODI and India scored 373 runs for seven wickets. None of the Sri Lankan bowlers could trouble them.
Explosive batsman Suryakumar Yadav and young wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan were not part of the playing XI for the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
Before the second match at Eden Gardens, the same question will remain that what will happen to these two? Will both be seen on the bench or will the team management take a careful decision. By the way, Shubman Gill gave a befitting reply to his critics by playing an innings of 70 runs. After seeing the kind of game Gill showed in the first ODI, it would be an impossible decision to include Ishaan in the XI by leaving him out. But KL Rahul has not improved at all.
Betting on Ishaan by making Rahul sit
KL Rahul is currently seen as the weak link, in whose place Ishaan can be included in the XI. Rahul has been going through a poor run of form and has also been handed the additional role of wicketkeeper to keep him fit in the team. His highest score in the last seven international innings has been 39, which he made in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, while in this match he had full opportunity to play freely without pressure. The team management will have to rethink its strategy once again. Ishaan is a specialist wicketkeeper and can be given a chance in the middle order in place of Rahul.
India’s probable playing XI
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Akshar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik
Possible playing XI of Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjay D’Silva, Charith Aslanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinus Velalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka