In a fascinating turn of events, Wanindu Hasaranga found himself sidelined from the series due to a nagging hamstring injury, while Mohamed Shiraz was left out of the starting XI for Sri Lanka’s second ODI against India.
As the two teams gathered for the toss, it was Sri Lanka who won the decision and chose to bat first against the formidable Indian side. The decision was a strategic one by Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka, who believed that the pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium would provide assistance to spinners as the match progressed, much like the thrilling series-opener.
Sri Lanka made two significant changes to their lineup for this crucial match. The forced exclusion of Wanindu Hasaranga saw legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay coming in as his replacement, while allrounder Kamindu Mendis was brought in for fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz to capitalize on the expected spin-friendly conditions.
With just one frontline seamer in Asitha Fernando, Sri Lanka packed their squad with five spin options, including captain Asalanka who proved his worth with three crucial wickets in the first ODI.
On the other side, India opted to stick with the same XI from the previous match, with captain Rohit Sharma emphasizing the importance of adaptability in challenging conditions as they geared up for another chase against Sri Lanka.
The team lineups were confirmed as follows:
Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha Fernando.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh.
The stage was set for another thrilling encounter between these two cricketing giants, with Sri Lanka hoping to secure a much-needed victory in the absence of Hasaranga, while India looked to maintain their winning momentum with a solid performance.
