India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI at Mohali: Gunaratne starts off with a streaky shot with a couple to fine leg, he gets a boundary with slice past point and is into the double digits. A single off the fifth ball, helps Sri Lanka collect seven.
Preview: Still licking their wounds after the humiliation in Dharamsala, India will be aiming to roar back when they face a rejuvenated Sri Lanka in the do-or-die second One-day International (ODI) at the Punjab Cricket Association's IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
The embarrassing seven-wicket loss in Sunday's opener of the three-match rubber was an eye-opener for the Men-in-Blue, who are expected to face similar conditions when they land in South Africa later this month.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma (L) and his Sri Lankan counterpart Thisara Perera. Agencies
While Mohali may not be as cold as Dharamsala, the pacers could still have a say in the second match, considering it will be another 11.30 am start.
In such a scenario, Rohit Sharma's men will need to pull up their socks and learn from the mistakes of the first match, where the top order fell like ninepins.
It was once again the old war-horse Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who stood tall with a patient half century to lift the team's total to 112 after being down 29/7.
Moreover, the exclusion of the experienced Ajinkya Rahane from the playing XI without regular skipper Virat Kohli also raised questions on the team management's strategy in the opening game.
India went in with a relatively inexperienced middle order, comprising debutant Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik, who failed to cash in on the opportunity after the hosts lost the opening duo of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply.
In the bowling department, the worry for India will be the performance of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who once again leaked runs when the hosts were defending a paltry score.
Considering Sri Lanka cantered to victory in 20.4 overs, the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav did not get to bowl and would be itching to get back into action after a month's gap.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will have a golden opportunity to seal the series after ending a 12-match losing streak on Sunday.
The visitors will, however, need to revisit their top order batting after opener Danushka Gunathilaka and one-drop Lahiru Thirimanne failed to click in the first match.
The Sri Lankans will take a lot of heart from the performance of their experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who not only came good with the ball, picking the crucial wicket of Dhawan but also guided the visitors home with an unbeaten 25.
The tourists will also be expecting another brilliant show from their bowling unit led by pacer Suranga Lakmal, who returned figures of 4/13, along with Mathews and Nuwan Pradeep.
The spin combo of Akila Dananjaya and Sachith Pathirana, complemented the pacers beautifully despite getting little help from the pitch at Dharamsala.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Washington Sundar, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul.
Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Chaturanga de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Perera.
With IANS inputs.
HIGHLIGHTS
OUT! Washington Sundar gets his first international wicket in Lahiru Thirimanne. Thirimanne premeditated it. Looked to reverse sweep a full ball that doesn't find the bat but crashes into his stumps.
L Thirimanne b Sundar 21
OUT! Bumrah bowls it down leg, which Gunathilaka look to flick it to fine leg boundary, but gets a tickle to Dhoni. Sri Lanka in trouble.
D Gunathilaka c Dhoni b Bumrah 16
OUT! Pandya strikes! Poor from Upul Tharanga. Looking at the short of a length delivery he was looking to cut, but misjudged the pace on it, it was slow leg cutter that he ended up hitting it to the cover fielder. Dinesh Karthik takes a simple catch as the visitors lose their experienced opener early.
U Tharanga c Karthik b Pandya 7 (14)
OUT! The misery ends for Sri Lanka. Hardik Pandya holes out to long on. Hardik Pandya c Thirimanne b Perera 8(5)
SIX! 190. Rohit is toying with the Lankan bowlers. He stands tall and smokes it over the long off fence.
OUT! Well executed slower ball. Perera unleases a slower one and Dhoni misses it completely to get rapped on the pad. The finger goes up and Dhoni starts walking. Dhoni lbw b Perera 7(5)
OUT! Misses out on a hundred but nonetheless this has been a tremendous knock from Shreyas Iyer. He holes out to the deep midwicket fielder. Shreyas Iyer c (sub)de Silva b Perera 88(70)
Two commendable landmarks. Shreyas in only his 2nd innings has come through with a very well made aggressive 50. Rohit has played a captain's knock, slamming his 16th ODI century. India are cruising towards a massive total. Rohit has really held the innings through 2 excellent partnerships and put India on top. Superb ton. His first as captain
FIFTY! Maiden international 50 for Shreyas Iyer. Unlike Dharamsala, the Mumbai batsmen has been completely calm in Mohali. Completes it with a single.
After 24 overs,India 127/1 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 50 , Shreyas Iyer 8)
Pathirana continues. Shreyas drives the first ball to mid on and rushes across for a single. Rohit does the same to long on. Deft! Shreyas guides one past the slip fielder and Gunathilaka gives it a chase to keep it to three. One run saved. FIFTY! Rohit completes his 35th fifty; first as a captain with a single. Six off the over.
OUT! A wicket falls against the run of play. Dhawan rushes down the track to whip, Pathirana sees it and bowls it quick on leg. However, Dhawan goes on with the shot and finds the short midwicket. He departs for 68. Dhawan c Thirimanne b Pathirana 68(67)
FIFTY! Shikhar Dhawan has complied his 23rd half century. Was fidgety early on but grew in confidence as the innings progressed.
Sri Lanka: Danushka Gunathilaka, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera, Sachith Pathirana, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Nuwan Pradeep
The visitors have retained the same XI.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Washington Sundar to make his debut and will replace Kuldeep Yadav.
The toss falls in Sri Lanka's favour and Thisara Perera opts to bowl first in the second ODI.
After 26 overs,Sri Lanka 131/4 ( Angelo Mathews 46 , Asela Gunaratne 14)
Gunaratne starts off with a streaky shot with a couple to fine leg, he gets a boundary with slice past point and is into the double digits. A single off the fifth ball, helps Sri Lanka collect seven.
After 24 overs,Sri Lanka 124/4 ( Angelo Mathews 46 , Asela Gunaratne 7)
Gunaratne must have had his heart up his mouth when he got the top edge of the slog sweep, but luckily for him it falls in no man's land. He has been busy as soon as he has walked into bat, as the Lankans pluck away 7 off the Chahal over.
After 24 overs,Sri Lanka 119/4 ( Angelo Mathews 45 , Asela Gunaratne 3)
Sundar tosses up a few deliveries in the over, mixing it with an arm ball to keep the batsmen on the toes. Completes another tidy over for three runs.
After 23 overs,Sri Lanka 116/4 ( Angelo Mathews 44 , Asela Gunaratne 1)
Dickwella's little cameo comes to an end with Chahal picking his first wicket of the match. Gunaratne is welcomed with a googly first up and he gets behind it nicely. Gets off the mark of the next ball.
OUT! Dickwella looked to scythed it past backward point for another boundary instead he got a thickish outside edge that flew straight to the tall Washington Sundar at short third man as Lanka lose their fourth wicket.
N Dickwella c Sundar b Chahal 22
FOUR! Dickwella gets down on his knee and goes across the line off the ball that was spinning away to play the sweep that would beat the fine leg fielder in the ring.
After 22 overs,Sri Lanka 110/3 ( Angelo Mathews 44 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 18)
Mathews plays out four dots before pulling a boundary to midwicket and carving the last ball off the backfoot on the offside for two to take six runs off Pandya's 7th over
FOUR! Pandya digs it in short at 129 kph which has been slapped by Mathews to midwicket boundary.
Hardik Pandya has been called back into the attack.
After 21 overs,Sri Lanka 104/3 ( Angelo Mathews 38 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 18)
Tidy over by Chahal giving away only three runs off the over. Not afraid to toss the ball even to Dickwella, who reverse sweeps in front off square on the off side and then he attempts it again off the last ball but for no run.
After 20 overs,Sri Lanka 101/3 ( Angelo Mathews 36 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 17)
A six and a reverse sweep four helps Sri Lanka collect 11 runs off the over and cross the 100-run mark. These two are gradually looking to attack and are positive approach from the touring side.
FOUR! Dickwella plays the reverse sweep to good effect. Similar looking to the one attempted by Thirimanne but the length wasn't as full. He nudged it fine to collect a boundary.
SIX! Mathews' eye light up seeing some flight. Hits it with the spin for a six over long on.
After 19 overs,Sri Lanka 90/3 ( Angelo Mathews 29 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 13)
19th over starts with an overthrow throw from Iyer to give two free runs. Mathews pushed it towards short midwicket post which Iyer fires a throw over Dhoni's head allowing the Lankans to run two. Chahal drifts one down the leg side, which is called a wide, MSD appealed for caught behind but the umpire deemed it wide. Dickwella slammed the fifth ball off the over for a boundary.
FOUR! Dickwella provides himself with some room and flays it through the covers for another boundary.
Yuzvendra Chahal is introduced into the attack.
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After 18 overs,Sri Lanka 82/3 ( Angelo Mathews 26 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 9)
Sundar fires one straight to Dickwella, cramping him for room. Dickwella tucks it around the corner for one. Sundar delivers the third ball close to 100 clicks, Mathewsdrills it to long on for a single. Two more singles come off the over.
After 17 overs,Sri Lanka 78/3 ( Angelo Mathews 24 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 7)
Apart from the the two boundaries off the over, there was a huge leg before wicket shout, which was turned down by umpire Nandan, even MSD was against the idea of reviewing it and he was correct as the replays show the ball pitched was outside leg. Players take drinks.
Now we have a pitch invasion at Mohali. A fan enters the pitch from one of the stands on the east side, and promptly runs to Dhoni to touch his feet, eliciting a loud roar from the arena as well as ‘Dhoni’ chants.
FOUR! Short ball, Mathews goes after the ball to pull it backward square leg, debutant Sundar misjudges the spin on the ball and over runs it.
FOUR! Bumrah slips a full toss to Mathews, looks like he got the yorker wrong and Mathews smacks it past midwicket
After 16 overs,Sri Lanka 67/3 ( Angelo Mathews 15 , Niroshan Dickwella (W) 5)
Thirimanne uses his feet off the second ball, a stifled leg before appeal before the 18-year old, Sundar knocks Thirimanne's stumps for his first international wicket. Dickwella begins with a boundary.
FOUR! Dickwella is off and running. Steps out and drives it straight down the ground to beat the long on fielder for a boundary to get off the mark
OUT! Washington Sundar gets his first international wicket in Lahiru Thirimanne. Thirimanne premeditated it. Looked to reverse sweep a full ball that doesn't find the bat but crashes into his stumps.
L Thirimanne b Sundar 21
After 15 overs,Sri Lanka 62/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 21 , Angelo Mathews 15)
Hardik continues to bowl around 130 clicks. After singles off the first two balls, Pandya manages to bowl four dots to Mathews. Sri Lanka need to get the big shots out soon as the required rate continues to climb.
After 14 overs,Sri Lanka 60/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 20 , Angelo Mathews 14)
Thirimanne turns the strike off the first ball off the over. Sundar shifts to over the wicket to Mathews. Cries of 'catch it' off the third ball as Mathews gets a leading edge to point for a single. Thirimanne takes another single to deep extra cover. Mathews paddles it for a single to fine leg off the last ball. Four runs come off Sundar's first over.
Loud cheer for Washington Sundar ahead of his over. The 18-year-old only got his cap from coach Shastri earlier today.
Here is the rookie, Washington Sundar, he will begin round the wicket to Thirimanne
After 13 overs,Sri Lanka 56/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 18 , Angelo Mathews 12)
Thirimanne looked to force the issue a couple of times in the 13th over. He attempted the slog sweep off the second ball but didn't get all of it, smashing it onto his boot, even on the last ball off the over he looked to clear the cover fence but got no timing on the ball, only managed a single.
After 12 overs,Sri Lanka 53/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 16 , Angelo Mathews 11)
Sri Lanka cross the 50-run mark with a boundary from Mathews' bat, who takes a single off the next ball. The visiting team will have start finding the fence more regularly.
FOUR! Mathews goes deep in his crease to play it square on the off-side. 50 up for the Lankans.
After 11 overs,Sri Lanka 46/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 15 , Angelo Mathews 6)
Mathews gets off strike with a single to mid on. Thirimanne returns the strike with a single to third man. MS Dhoni displayed another bit of his trickery, guiding a throw from third man onto the stumps without actually collecting it. But by the time his no look tickle onto the ball to guide it on to the stumps, Mathews completed the second run. Mathews to keep strike with a single to square leg off the last ball.
Hardik Pandya is back. Will begin his fourth over.
After 10 overs,Sri Lanka 41/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 14 , Angelo Mathews 2)
Mathews gets an inside edge to get off the mark. Couple of singles off the following deliveries help the batsman rotate strike. Thirimanne finishes the over with a boundary.
FOUR! Slightly short and Thirimanne has managed to pull it to mid wicket fence off the last ball off the first powerplay.
After 9 overs,Sri Lanka 34/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 9 , Angelo Mathews 0)
Bhuvi continnues.He stacks up one dot ball after another as he seems to find his length. Thirimanne who has looked very sedate so far, advanced down the track to play a wild stroke over covers off a good length delivery that was angled across. But, eventually got a couple off the fifth ball after shuffling across to play it to fine leg. IN THE AIRRR, but safe! Thrimanne looked to work it on the onside one more time but got a leading edge that fortunately for him evaded the cover and cover point fielder to land in the gap, he even got a couple of runs off that ball.
After 8 overs,Sri Lanka 30/2 ( Lahiru Thirimanne 5 , Angelo Mathews 0)
Thirimanne got off strike with a single off the first ball. Gunathilaka got a faint edge to Dhoni to bring an end to his innings. Bumrah got his line right straightaway to the right-hander Angelo Mathews as he plays out the last three deliveries for no run.
OUT! Bumrah bowls it down leg, which Gunathilaka look to flick it to fine leg boundary, but gets a tickle to Dhoni. Sri Lanka in trouble.
D Gunathilaka c Dhoni b Bumrah 16
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The highest target successfully chased by Sri Lanka in ODIs is 322 which they chased against England at Leeds in 2006 and India at The Oval in 2017.
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After 7 overs,Sri Lanka 29/1 ( Danushka Gunathilaka 16 , Lahiru Thirimanne 4)
After a couple of dots, Thirimanne angles the bat to guide it to third man for a single. Couple singles to mid wicket for both the batsman as the batsmen pick three runs off it.