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India vs Sri Lanka 2020, 2nd T20I Preview: Teams Look Forward to Indore After Guwahati Washout
- Updated: January 6, 2020
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India did not have the best of starts to their Mission 2020 campaign as the first T20I against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to rain. Despite the best efforts of the ground staff, the playing conditions were not conducive enough to let the game happen. This meant that the India vs Sri Lanka 2020 series hasn’t yet started. Though the outfield was ready on time, the pitch had too many patches of water soaked into it and the ground staff failed to get it sorted within the cut off time which was 9.45 pm. The rain started after India won the toss and opted to field first. It rained almost for an hour after the toss and the rain finally stopped around 7.45 pm. However, by then it had damaged the playing area enough to not let the game happen. Despite multiple inspections, when the umpires found that the ground was not ready for play to start, they finally called off the game after it got delayed for almost three hours.
From a supersopper to vaccum cleaner to hair dryer to even a steam iron, the ground staff tried every trick up their sleeve to give the spectators a game but they failed. The inability of the ground staff to get the ground ready on time has questioned the inadequacy of the BCCI in terms of its infrastructure. Despite being the richest board in the world, them failing to stage an international game and that too the first of a new season for India has not gone down well to the cricket experts and fans. As per reports, the BCCI will make an inspection about this incident.
Also Read: India vs Sri Lanka 2020, 1st T20I Preview
Meanwhile, the India vs Sri Lanka 2020 series moves on and the second game will be played in Indore on January 7. The players have just about a day between the two matches for travel and getting themselves prepared for the game. Fans at Indore will expect that rain stays away from the game and that they can witness a full 40 overs of a T20I cricket match. The fans at Guwahati despite the rain came in numbers to support Team India. Indore is also expected to be the same.
Meanwhile, as far as the two teams are concerned for the India vs Sri Lanka 2020 series, there are players from both teams who would like to make use of these two games to make an impact. Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan make a return to the Indian team after recovering from their respective injuries. With Rohit Sharma rested for the series, Dhawan will open with KL Rahul who had a successful 2019. He has established himself as a regular member of the team this year with his performances.
Dhawan now will have to come up with solid contributions in the two T20I to make the selectors think about including him in the squad for the World T20I. Making a return to the team, all eyes will be on Bumrah as he leads the bowling attack. He will have Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur for company in the pace attack. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja form the spinning trio.
The two games in the India vs Sri Lanka 2020 series will also be important for Shivam Dube who now has his last chance to make an impact with Hardik Pandya in the radar to be named in the squad for the New Zealand series.
Sri Lanka too fielded their full-strength squad in the first game and are expected to stick with it for the second game. The same is expected with the Indian team as well. Sri Lanka, off late are in a good run of form at the moment. They beat England in the 2019 World Cup after which they won 3-0 in the T20Is and also they beat South Africa in South Africa by a 2-0 margin in Tests and also Bangladesh 1-0. They would like to keep the form going against India as well.
Also Read: Full List of India’s Cricket Calendar in 2020
In their very first series of the new year, they would like to keep the form going. After a rained off game, the pitch in Indore is expected to be a batting-friendly one. Also, a match full of intensity is on the cards as well.
Meanwhile here are a few key stats and triva to look forward to in the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka.
- India have won all their matches played so far at the Holkar stadium in Indore (5 ODIs, Two Tests , 1 T20I)
2. India have won four of their last five T20Is, Sri Lanka just two.
3. Jasprit Bumrah (51 wickets ) is just two wickets away from overtaking Ravichandran Ashwin (53 wickets) from being India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is.
4. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are on level terms (2633 runs) as batsmen with most runs in T20Is.
5. Mathews averages 78.00 in India with the bat, in T20Is. He has four not outs in six innings. He strikes at 130.00.
Squads
India
Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar
Sri Lanka
Lasith Malinga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Janith Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya De Silva, Isuru Udana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan
This is the Dream XI Predicted team for the game.
Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul (VC), Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Dhananjaya De Silva, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Lahiru Kumara, Lakshan Sandakan.
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