IND vs SL: 2nd ODI Preview – Rohit eyes big innings at his favourite ground
India will take on visitors Sri Lanka in the second and decisive match of the series at the Eden Gardens on Thursday, January 12. The ODI series opener between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati witnessed a one-sided contest as the hosts swatted aside the visitors in a dominating victory. Rohit Sharma’s return to the side was marked by a fabulous 45th ODI century for batting superstar Virat Kohli, who propelled India’s total to a daunting 373 runs in a clinical batting performance.
The Indian skipper along with Shubman Gill provided India with a blistering start, dismissing concerns over the opening pair for the Men in Blue. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul also chipped in with quickfire cameos as mercurial Hardik Pandya endured a rare failure with the bat. While Kohli was the star with the bat, Mohammed Siraj led the lines for the home side with the ball.
The right arm-pacer was at his fearsome best, breaking the back of the Sri Lankan chase with a fiery opening spell. Although the Sri Lankan skipper played a lone hand and brought up a dazzling century, the result was a foregone conclusion by then. Shanaka lamented the poor execution by his bowlers in the aftermath of the result and is keen to bounce back in the second ODI in Kolkata.
Pitch and conditions
Eden Gardens is hosting its first ODI since 2017, and the fans are in for another run-fest in the ongoing series, as the surface at the iconic venue is a batting paradise. Despite the pitch being the batters’ ally, the slower bowlers will have a say in the contest as the match progresses. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will have fond memories of playing at this venue as he registered a record-shattering 264 on this very ground in 2014 against the same opposition.
Venue details: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Last ODI match at the venue: IND: 252/10 in 50 overs | AUS: 202/10 in 43.1 overs.
Here’s the probable playing XI for India vs Sri Lanka clash:
India:
Virat Kohli grabbed the headlines after his 45th ODI ton in the ODI series opener in Guwahati. However, it was a clinical performance by the Indians, who completely outplayed their opponents on the day. They are unlikely to change the winning combination.
Sri Lanka:
It was the same old story for the visitors as the Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka played a lone hand in another lost cause. However, he has not got much time to dwell on the result and will look to rectify the mistakes in the decisive encounter in Kolkata. Dilshan Madushanka could not complete his overs in the first ODI and Lahiru Kumara may take his place.
