Lucknow: It was going to be a duel of bench strength, with both India and Sri Lanka missing several of their first-choice players. Although, in the second One Day International of the three-match series against Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue seem to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series on Saturday.
India won by 62 runs in the opening T20 International, with Ishan Kishan taking home the man of the match award. The opening batter hit 89 runs off 56 pitches. Kishan found a partner in Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 57 runs to the total.
India tried Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Hooda for three overs apiece while their four frontline bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal did not complete their quotas. However, their fielding, particularly catching- the area where they can improve.
While it would be a deciding match for this series, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (Dharamshala stadium) has something to offer to the seamers. The surface has some speed and bounce, which will aid bowlers in their efforts to have an impact on the game. The seamers will also benefit from the chilly weather conditions. As a result, unlike the first T20 International in Lucknow, spectators are unlikely to see a high-scoring match.
SQUADS:
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the first T20I due to soreness in his right wrist, which has been hampering his batting. If he is unable to play, India may have an unchanged team.
