New Delhi: India won the close encounter by just two runs to open the year on a high note. The second T20I will be played in Pune and is a good chance for team India to learn from the first game and seal the series. As per the team news, Sanju Samson would not be available for the remainder of the T20 series after a knee injury, while Arshdeep Singh is available for selection.
India needs to counter Sri Lankan attack
We have arrived here in Pune ahead of the second #INDvSL T20I ??#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/QBA7PamXze
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 4, 2023
India has got an attacking opener in Ishan Kishan, who managed 37 off 29 in the first game, while Shubman Gill has a lot to prove in the T20s. On the other hand, while Samson misses, Rahul Tripathi is likely to get a chance. India has the firepower to score big as Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are the explosive and experienced players in the team. However, the Sri Lankan spinners managed to contain runs and pick wickets regularly. This might still be a problem as Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana will pose some questions.
.@HoodaOnFire was on a roll with the bat & was our top performer from the first innings of the first #INDvSL T20 ? ? #TeamIndia
A summary of his knock ? pic.twitter.com/R0sBN8G1U0
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 3, 2023
Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel showcased their batting abilities and took India to a fightable total. With a strong lower-middle order and Harshal Patel and Shivam Mavi in the lower order, the top order can bat freely and accelerate.
Arshdeep is likely to replace Umran Malik or Harshal Patel, which will help India with death bowling. Shivam Mavi with a four-wicket haul on debut is at top of his game with Hardik Pandya bowling smart. However, Indian spinners were not able to pose any difficulty in front of the hosts, and with the pitch in the second game favouring spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal needs to stand up.
Sri Lanka’s ability to chase totals
Sri Lanka has been good at chasing totals lately as captain Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne almost did it in the first game. They have power hitters down the order while the top order has been their concern for a long time. Also, the fact that the win ratio at the MCA stadium is better for teams batting first can be concerning for the visitors.
Meanwhile, bowling has emerged as their key strength. Spinners have bowled right lines and lengths, and with less flight offered, Hasaranga and Theekshana will be the players to watch out for. Apart from Kasun Rajitha, no one was much more expensive and picked a wicket each. The bowling in the first game is something that will give confidence to the visitors.
