After an all-batting game in the first ODI, the second one day match between India vs Sri Lanka presented a very different challenge as the two teams battled for glory. Sri Lanka wanted to win the match and equalize the series 1-1 while India were hoping to take an unassailable lead of 2-0.
Bowlers did the job for India as they had a small target of 216 runs to chase in the second innings. KL Rahul batted well to keep the innings together and win the match by 4 wickets.
The 2nd ODI match between India and Sri Lanka was played at the historic and iconinc Eden Gardens Kolkata.
Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bat first, largely because of the massive total that India managed in the first ODI. However, the decision backfired as pitch at Eden Gardens assisted bowlers.
Sri Lanka had to make two changes in their side, largely forced by injuries to Pathum, Nissanka and Dilshan Madushanka. Lahiru Kumara replaced the seamer while Nuwanidu Fernando was handed a debut cap.
1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Nuwanidu Fernando, 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Lahiru Kumara
1 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 KL Rahul (wk) 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umran Malik
India were forced to make one change to their winning combination from the first ODI match. Yuzvendra Chahal injured himself while fielding. He was replaced by Kuldeep Yadav who did pretty well and eventually became the player of the match.
Sri Lanka’s innings started in a usual disappointing fashion as they lost the first wicket at 29 when Mohammad Siraj dismissed Avishka Fernando. Kusal Mendis and Debutant Fernando had a good partnership of 70-odd runs between them.
Fernando scored a half century in his first ever ODI match. Unfortunately, he got run-out soon after completing his half century. The run out sparked a collapse as Sri lanka went from 102/1 to 126/6, losing 6 wickets in a space of 25 runs.
Sri Lanka couldn’t recover after that as the whole side got dismissed for 215 runs in only 39.4 overs. Fernando was the top scorer with 50 runs. Kusal Mendis made 34 while Wellalage scored 32 runs.
For India, Kuldeep and Siraj both picked up three wickets each. Umran Malik also had two scalps while Axar Patel got only one wicket.
India started off aggressively as the two openers added 33 runs in 5 overs. Rohit Sharma got out for 17 while Gill made 21. A middle order collapse reduced India to 86/4 but Pandya, Rahul, and Axar Patel steadied the innings and took India to the target with 4 wickets in hand.
Kuldeep Yadav was declared the player of the match for his three wickets.
The next match of the series is scheduled on Saturday, 14th January 2023.
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