From his new adopted home in Pune to the real one, MS Dhoni will lead India to face Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at his hometown Ranchi on Friday. The defeat in the first game against a young and inexperienced Sri Lankan side came as a shocker but the Men in Blue (well, Sri Lanka are, technically speaking, Men in Blue as well) remain positive, drawing confidence from their 3-0 win against Australia as they marched to the No. 1 ranking in this format. Meanwhile, Dinesh Chandimal’s young Lankans will hope to continue building on the momentum they got at Pune. It will not be easy but we have seen that the game is full of surprises. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Sri Lanka 2015-16, 2nd T20I at Ranchi
India did go down at Pune, but they did go down fighting. What worked in Sri Lanka’s favour was the green track that the curators at Pune presented. The Indians were caught by surprise as they played on complete different surfaces in Australia. The defeat may be a blessing in disguise for India, since it served a message to them that there is no place for complacency. The middle-order and lower middle-orders for India were not tested in Australia, and once they lost more than half their side in the first 10 overs at Pine, they should have looked to secure at least 120. The planning seemed missing and batsmen went for their shots and lost wickets. READ: India show grit and character despite demoralising loss in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka
The absence of Virat Kohli was felt in the line-up, but even without him the side has plenty of firepower in their batting. Had India bowled first, things could have been different but let us not take anything away from the young Sri Lankan bowlers, especially the nippy debutant Kasun Rajitha, the fiery Dushmantha Chameera and Dasun Shanka.
The Chandimal-led side, who will enter ICC World T20 2016 as defending champions, are without their regular T20 captain Lasith Malinga and Test skipper Angelo Mathews. Even Tillakaratne Dilshan was ruled out of the opening game. There was neither Nuwan Kulasekara nor Rangana Herath. Therefore, what the young side achieved in Pune will be remembered for a long time.
For India, Pandya fills in for the Shanaka role but he had another off game at Pune. He is likely to retain his place despite the failure. Pace-bowling all-rounder are a rare breed in India, and Pandya has shown potential. It was the first time he batted in his international career, and he managed just 2. In every possibility he is likely to retain his spot, which will mean that the much talked-about Pawan Negi will have to wait.
For Sri Lanka, the return of Dilshan will their confidence. Not only can he be explosive at the top but also can contribute with his off-spin and bring a wealth of experience alongside. Ranchi is expected to very different than Pune track. There is a chill in the Ranchi air, and though the atmosphere may help swing bowling, one can expect a true batting surface.
Expect a packed house of 40,000 spectators as they will flock at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium to watch their hero, Dhoni lead the Indian side, who will look forward to avenge the Pune nightmare and level the series.
(Suvajit Mustaficonsumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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