Hello and welcome to Sportstar's coverage of the 2nd ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo. This is Lalith Kalidas bringing you the updates as action unfurls in Colombo.
We will be having a dead rubber on Friday. Looked unlikely for a larger part of the second half but Chahar's exceptional willow-wielding opens up a chance for India to experiment with its XI for the final ODI on Friday. Sri Lanka, however, cannot afford further losses as every game it plays affects his points pool on the World Cup Super League table. Can Shanaka and Sri Lanka make quick amends on the few crevices and comeback to stave a whitewash?
See you all on Friday, folks. Good night!
Oh, Sri Lanka, how have you let this one slip away? After leading through every period of play in the Indian chase, the bowlers and the captain let it slip in the final 10 overs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar set up a sturdy fightback to rack up 68 runs in the period.
IND 277/7 in 49.1 overs: DEEPAK CHAHAR finishes it in style! A boundary over long-on seals the series for India!
Mickey Arthur is going haywire in his dressing room. Rajitha goes for the slower one and Chahar lunges forward and smacks it over the inner-circle to the deep. What a win from out of the blue for the Men in Blue as they romp to another series win from the jaws of defeat!
IND 273/7 in 49 overs: Boundary to end the 49th! India three away!
Bhuvneshwar's outside edge has swung the match in India's favour. Mickey Arthur is distraught as the Indians roar on from the dressing room.
3 to win.
IND 261/7 in 48 overs: Top-draw stuff from Hasaranga! Just the single run from the over as Chahar is pushed deep into his crease. Hasaranga leaves no room for a slog as India needs 15 in two overs. Game of nerves!
Hasaranga to continue
IND 260/7 in 47 overs: Two crucial boundaries to start off the over! Bhuvi opens the face of the bat and guides the ball just past the keeper to the boundary. He takes a single and Chahar then gloves one over the keeper to his left this time. Fallen heads and shoulders on the field as Sri Lanka seems to see the game slip away. A brief halt in play as Chahar is down with cramps. Two singles to follow after the break as India needs 16 in three overs.
IND 247/7 in 46 overs: Top over from Hasaranga! Just the two off it as the pressure is back on India. India needs 29 from 24 balls.
Hasaranga is back into the attack. Can he mark another twist in this game?
IND 245/7 in 45 overs: FIFTY FOR DEEPAK CHAHAR! What a turnaround has this been for India and it comes from an unlikely corner. In just his fifth ODI game, Chahar, the swing bowler has managed to get Rahul Dravid to stand up and applaud for his exploits with the blade! India needs 31 from 30 balls.
Dravid walks down from the dressing room and has a long chat with Rahul Chahar. Probably, a message to be sent in to his cousin.
IND 240/7 in 44 overs: Deepak Chahar swings big and hard! Chahar makes room and Rajitha tails one in but Chahar moves back further and blasts it down the ground. Rajitha goes full and Chahar's wild swing takes the edge and flies over short third-man to the boundary. India needs 35 from 36 balls.
IND 229/7 in 43 overs: Chahar blasts one over the fence! Sandakan goes full and Chahar just wait for it and thumps it over long-off by a convincing margin. What a hit. The pressure is suddenly back on the Sri Lankans as India needs 47 from 42 balls.
IND 220/7 in 42 overs: Chahar is hit on the head by a quicker one from Rajitha, forcing a brief halt in play. Things are pretty intense out there as India continues to latch onto the game barely. A couple of boundaries here can the tilt the pressure very much against Sri Lanka too.
IND 216/7 in 41 overs: Big boundary for Chahar as Sandakan draws the ball down leg. Chahar sits down well and sweeps hard to the fine leg boundary. India needs 60 in 54 balls to win.
IND 208/7 in 40 overs: Chahar survives!
Deary me, how did that miss the stumps? Hasaranga extracts some serious turn on a fuller delivery that flummoxes Chahar's defense. It beats everything and rushes down the boundary with the batters sneaking in three runs.
IND 204/7 in 39 overs: 200 up for India. Bhuvneshwar and Chahar are sturdy at the crease and continues to prod and push their way out of trouble. Meanwhile, a worried Dravid continues to fill in his notebook in the dressing room.
IND 197/7 in 38 overs: Hasaranga continues to push the ball further up to induce that false stroke. Chahar and Bhuvi have put up an impressive defensive strokeplay, but that's not taking them home from this situation. India needs 79 from 72 balls.
IND 196/7 in 37 overs: India faces the heat as the run-rate continues to sink. Bhuvneshwar pushes forward and continues to defend through the line as de Silva darts through another over.
IND 195/7 in 36 overs: Hasaranga to Krunal. OUT! Round his defense with a jaffa! Hasaranga continues from over the wicket to Krunal and gets the ball to gently move through the air before sliding in from outside off. The ball bamboozles Krunal and does well to shun the Indian dugout. What a comeback from Sri Lanka as another bowling change works for Shanaka. Krunal Pandya b PWH de Silva 35 (54b 3x4)
Hasaranga is back in
IND 193/6 in 35 overs: de Silva returns and keeps Krunal back in his strides. No loose stuff and Krunal just about manages to retain strike with a single off the last ball. 83 needed from 90 balls.
IND 191/6 in 34 overs: Chameera slyly varies with his pace as runs slowly begin to dry up. Chahar keeps one end rooted in defense while Krunal has slowly played himself into a lull.
IND 189/6 in 33 overs: Chahar slaps one through covers. Sandakan offers a short ball outside off and Chahar stands back and bashes it through covers. That would add well to the total while easing the pressure on Krunal. 86 needed from 102 balls.
IND 184/6 in 32 overs: Chameera forces Krunal off strike but Chahar does well to block off the quicker deliveries. Chahar sets off on a single off the last ball and leaves Krunal flummoxed at the non-striker's. Luckily, no harm done.
IND 181/6 in 31 overs: Krunal finds a much-needed boundary. Short from Sandakan and Krunal rocks back nicely and puts it behind square leg for four. Sandakan regains his length and keeps it under control for the rest of the over.
IND 175/6 in 30 overs: Chameera is back and things get pretty dicey for Krunal at the middle. Krunal does well to duck behind two cracking bouncers. Five runs from the over as India is 100 runs behind Sri Lanka with 20 overs to spare.
IND 170/6 in 29 overs: A dead bat parade ensues as Chahar sees off Sanadakan with a proud defense on the front foot. Six runs come off the over as India continues to rotate strike under pressure.
IND 164/6 in 28 overs: Karunaratne hits Krunal's helmet! Boy, he continues to punch above his weight and the results have flailed India from time to time. Krunal's weak link is being exploited well by Karunaratne. With Chahar at the other end, wonder how Krunal is seeing the task ahead of him.
IND 160/6 in 27 overs: Sandakan to Suryakumar. OUT! Reaches his maiden fifty and falls soon after. What a wicket for Sri Lanka! Sandakan finally gets the ball to turn enough from middle and leg as the balls rushes to hit Suryakumar's pads. Umpire Dharmasena had no doubts about that one and SKY's failed review means Sri Lanka is well on top right now. Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Sandakan 53 (44b 6x4)
IND 149/5 in 26 overs: A lot of heart from Karunaratne as he runs into drill the short ball towards Krunal who also cops one on his elbow. Just a couple of singles in the over.
IND 147/5 in 25 overs: Suryakumar continues to weave his shots beautifully on either side of the pitch as Sandakan draws him forward once again. He has not found the fence in a while but looks firmly on top of the bowlers at the moment.
IND 142/5 in 24 overs: Krunal with a lucky boundary. Karunaratne is livid after Krunal's top edge flies past the keeper to the boundary. The run-rate's taken a hit and obviously so and India will take boundaries any which way they come in this tricky phase.
IND 135/5 in 23 overs: Sandakan is back but SKY and Krunal keep a positive approach, moving forward to nudge the ball and rotate strike.
IND 131/5 in 22 overs: Shanaka gets away with some really lose deliveries as SKY and Krunal are on the defensive for now. Some measure strokes in the over as the duo keeps their cool under mounting pressure.
IND 126/5 in 21 overs: Maiden for Karunaratne! What a remarkable turnaround in the last 30 minutes or so. Krunal tries his best to see off Karunaratne's attack outside the off-stump. He is comprehensively beaten thrice by Karunaratne who has varied his pace well to keep Krunal guessing.
Meanwhile in Durham
IND 126/5 in 20 overs:
The Lankans are all over India right now. Shanaka gets SKY to lob the ball thrice as the ball seems to stop a bit on the pitch. Some nerves must have set up in the Indian camp as things seem to get difficult out there.
IND 123/5 in 19 overs: Krunal escapes! Karunaratne rushes one onto Krunal who cannot restrain himself from the pull. The ball falls out of mid-on's reach and Karunaratne stands in disbelief.
Karunaratne into the attack
IND 116/5 in 18 overs: Shanaka to SKY. OUT! Run out at the non-striker's and Pandey's on his way! Feel bad for Manish here. Shanaka, the skipper with the golden arm, effects an unlikely dismissal. Suryakumar pushes the fuller ball back to Shanaka and it brushes his fingers before jagging the stumps. Pandey is way out of his crease and he instantly walks back before waiting for the replays. Pandya is the new man and he falls straightaway for a duck! The skipper does it with his arm properly this time! Shanaka drops him first ball and then offers another slower one that Hardik nudges straight to midwicket. What a moment in the game!
Manish Pandey run out (Shanaka) 37 (31b 3x4), Hardik Pandya c DM de Silva b Shanaka 0 (3b)
Shanaka into the attack.
IND 114/3 in 17 overs: Goodness me, Suryakumar! Lost for words to describe this man at the moment. Rajitha does well to get the ball to rise steeply off the middle but that's about it from his part. Suryakumar springs up into the air and aces an upper-cut from out of nowhere to the send the ball to third-man.
IND 107/3 in 16 overs: Suryakumar disrupts Hasaranga with a paddle sweep to off the first ball. He continues to the attack and the leggie ends up conceding 12 runs in the over. SKY continues to ensure some stylish runs as India has done well to recover from three quick jolts.
IND 95/3 in 15 overs: High class, Surya! Rajitha is welcomed back with a flick of sheer dominance. The ball races to the boundary in a flash and SKY seems to have hit the road strongly.
Kasun Rajitha is back
IND 85/3 in 14 overs: Hello SKY! Suryakumar gets moving as he waltzes Hasaranga with an audacious flick that sail to cow corner. Just his second ball and with three wickets down, that's just about how the man deals with his business.
IND 78/3 in 13 overs: Pandey releases the pressure as Sandakan offers him two juicy full-tosses. Pandey pummels them to mid-wicket and gets two important boundaries.
IND 65/3 in 12 overs: Hasaranga to Dhawan. Loud shout for lbw. OUT! Excellent review from Sri Lanka! Excellent bit of bowling once again from the leggie. The ball pitches in middle and straightens just about to make Dhawan play down the wrong line off the back-foot. The Lankans are jubilant as three reds appear on the big screen and India is now in a spot of bother. Shikhar Dhawan lbw b PWH de Silva 29 (38b 6x4)
IND 64/2 in 11 overs: Pandey advances to the tossed-up delivery from Sandakan. The left-armer quickly slides it down leg but Pandey manages to hold on to see off the impending danger.
Sandakan into the attack
IND 60/2 in 10 overs: Hasaranga returns and instantly gets Pandey to go for the tentative forward push. There's a thick outside edge that helps Pandey sneak in a couple but the leggie would be happy with some evident signs on display.
IND 56/2 in 9 overs: Dhawan on top this time. Rajitha continues to pepper the channel outside off-stump and gets ambitious for a moment. He fends one short but Dhawan rocks back and easily swivels in front of square for a beautiful four.
IND 50/2 in 8 overs: Fifty up for India. Pandey gets a fine boundary with a wristy flick through midwicket as Chameera continues to frustrate Dhawan.
IND 43/2 in 7 overs: Rajitha is running in full-tilt now. Dhawan fails to free his arms as the seamer rushes the ball in a fine channel right beside the off-stump.
IND 41/2 in 6 overs: The Lankans are fired up and nearly wraps Dhawan! Chameera hurries Dhawan with another bouncer to the body and Dhawan's pull falls just over square leg. Dhawan has another reprieve. This time Chameera's bumper takes the leading edge that lobs just straight up on the off-side and does not make it to the covers' reach. Game of inches!
IND 39/2 in 5 overs: Rajitha to Kishan. OUT! Chopped back on!
Rajitha is pumped up and so is Sri Lanka. Rajitha's constant push and a blow to Kishan's abdmon early in the over pays off for him. He bowls one full right outside the channel and Kishan goes for the cut with little room on offer. The ball takes the inside-edge and darts back to the stumps. Sri Lanka finally in it to call the shots at the moment.
Ishan Kishan b Rajitha 1 (4b)
Rajitha is back on.
IND 36/1 in 4 overs: Riveting contest between Chameera and Dhawan! Chameera steams in and makes Dhawan play two false stokes. The first one rushes onto his body and the inside-edge nearly chops the stumps. Dhawan escapes by a whisker as another searing delivery beats the outside edge. Chameera continues to crank up the pace and ends offering some width. Dhawan flashes hard and it sails past Rajitha once again at third man for a boundary. Top over altogether!
IND 28/1 in 3 overs: Hasaranga to Shaw. OUT! Bowled 'em! The change in bowling works instantly as the googly shudders the stumps. Shaw, standing on a leg-stump guard, does not move his feet an inch and pays the price. Hasaranga gets the ball to work the perfect line and it goes on to hit the top of off. The Lankans are elated and why wouldn't they be! Prithvi Shaw b PWH de Silva 13 (11b 3x4)
Hasaranga replaces Rajitha. This could turn out to be a good move against Shaw early on.
IND 26/0 in 2 overs: Dhawan's off the blocks! Chameera's quick bouncer makes Dhawan play the upper-cut that nearly falls to the third-man on the full but Rajitha slips and sends it to the boundary. Dhawan follows up with a exquisite drive, creaming through mid-off to the boundary.
Dushmantha Chameera on from the other end
IND 14/0 in 1 over: The Shaw-show is off the mark! Rajitha gets his radar right to start off, a couple of gentle away-swingers keeps Shaw back in his stride. Shaw then unleashes two glorious drives down the ground before completing the over with another stylish boundary off the flick to midwicket.
Kasun Rajitha up with the new ball.
The chase is ON! In walk Prithvi Shaw and skipper Shikhar Dhawan as the Lankan fielders take their positions.
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Right, the Lankans have followed a similar script to the first game. Win the toss, bat first, get starts, toss it away and then aim and bring in a late flourish with some lower-order blitz. The Indians should still be in the driver's seat, given the display of the batters two days ago. Nevertheless, an exciting session is in the offing.
Karunaratne has scored 138 runs in his first five ODI innings at No.8 or lower
- only behind Andre Russell and Denesh Ramdin.
SL 275/9 in 50 overs: A helicopter boundary from Karunaratne to finish! An over that began with Bhuvneshwar snapping two wickets finishes with Karunaratne giving Sri Lanka the final flourish once again. Two wickets to fall as Chameera's powerless slog and Ishan Kishan's brilliant run out gets Sandakan. Karunratne retains strike for the last few deliveries and drills one to the extra cover boundary and whips one down for four off the final ball.
SL 264/7 in 49 overs: Top notch from Karunaratne!
Chahar's full-toss is sent back with a gorgeous drive to the boundary. Karunaratne doubles it up as Chahar's loose bounce is easily put away to the fine leg boundary.
SL 252/7 in 48 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Asalanka. OUT! Caught at deep midwicket. The off-cutter works as Asalanka tonks it off length but fails to generate enough power to take it over the fence. Devdutt Padikkal, the sub fielder, places himself nicely to complete a simple catch. Asalanka is welcomed back by Mickey Arthur on his way back to the dressing-room and indeed, a deserving gesture for the young man. Charith Asalanka c sub (D Padikkal) b Kumar 65 (68b 6x4)
SL 244/6 in 47 overs: Chahar varies his pace and Asalanka ends up being beaten twice. Brilliant use of the slower one as the Lankans have struggled against it all evening.
SL 238/6 in 46 overs: The partnership continues to build on as Asalanka gets a tinge of luck off Bhuvneshwar. Bhuvi drags the ball outside Asalanka's reach as he goes for the wild heave. The balls gets the thick outside edge and rushes past the keeper to the boundary.
Bhuvneshwar is back
with five overs to remain.
SL 229/6 in 45 overs: Young Asalanka cracks a fine Fifty! Kuldeep his stomped with a forceful drive over covers. He follows it up with a fierce slog sweep that also races to the boundary. Kuldeep finishes his ten on a low as he drops pace once again.
SL 219/6 in 44 overs: Chahal finishes his quota. He keeps it full and loopy throughout this year, hoping for a fourth wicket but the batters have treaded carefully to deny him another.
SL 213/6 in 43 overs: Excellent from Kuldeep. Not the appropriate time for the batters to continue nudging around when a spinner is on but Kuldeep's nagging line has stopped such thoughts. Asalanka is comprehensively beaten twice as Kuldeep flights the ball outside off-stump. The attempted slog sweep goes missing twice and SL loses out on a precious over.
SL 210/6 in 42 overs: Chahal follows the batters as they aim to make room to clear the infield. He's aided by some series drift off the pitch. Karunaratne and Asalanka, however, manage to rotate strike frequently.
SL 204/6 in 41 overs: 200 up for Sri Lanka. Asalanka gets his side to the mark with another walloping slog sweep off Krunal. The onus is on Asalanka and Karunaratne now to see their side past 250 at least.
SL 195/6 in 40 overs: Chahar to Hasaranga. OUT! Castles him with a slower one! Top draw from stuff from Chahar as the knucke-ball hits the perfect length on the fall and crouches past Hasaranga's frail defence onto the stumps.
Chahar is back
SL 194/5 in 39 overs: Bhuvi seems to have got his rhythm back on in this spell. The ball zips in sharply and Hasaranga has a couple of flawed attempts in striking down the ground to the boundary.
SL 192/5 in 38 overs: Crack! Hasaranga goes for the slog sweep after a relatively quiet and he aces it to perfection. Krunal, slower through the air, offers width this time and Hasaranga is not going to let it loose.
SL 185/5 in 37 overs: Bhuvneshwar with a tight over. Hasaranga also ends up nudging one past the keeper off an inside edge as Bhuvi gets one to tail in quickly.
SL 178/5 in 36 overs: Chahal to Shanaka. OUT! Cleans up the skipper! Shanaka stays back in his crease with an inclination the leg-side, expecting the googly as Chahal tosses the ball up. Instead, the ball holds its line once again and goes onto the off-stump. Third wicket for the leggie as Sri Lanka stoops further down. Dasun Shanaka b Chahal 16 (24b 1x4)
SL 171/4 in 35 overs:
Krunal has been excellent in acing his role. Just the single run conceded and he wraps it up under two minutes. Brilliant from the left-armer!
SL 170/4 in 34 overs: Shanaka finds the boundary. Chahal gets his line wrong and slides it down leg. Shanaka quickly sits down and glides it past to the fine leg fence.
SL 162/4 in 33 overs: Pandya continues to hit the deck hard, forcing the ball onto the stumps. He gets his line right and that keeps the batters back in their tracks.
Hardik Pandya to resume after the break
SL 160/4 in 32 overs: Chahal is back and the batters will have to prepare a fresh plan to rake in the runs from here. The players will have a few moments to regroup as they head to Drinks.
SL 155/4 in 31 overs: 150 up for Sri Lanka as Asalanka blows Kuldeep away with a stunning slog sweep to midwicket. It's taken quite some time, so much so that the scorching conditions have been replaces with a dark cloud cover at the Premadasa.
SL 144/4 in 30 overs: Asalanka escapes! Chahar's quick bouncer outside off has Asalanka opt for a sluggish pull. The ball takes the edge and falls exactly in between point and deep cover.
SL 140/4 in 29 overs:
The two wickets in succession have put the home side back on square one. The captain Shanaka is in and would hope his partner Asalanka will help him forge a recovery. India has kept its bowling discipline throughout and the skipper Dhawan has rolled in some excellent bowling changes.
SL 137/4 in 28 overs: Chahar to de Silva. OUT! The slower one foxes de Silva! The worst fears of the Lankan fans are slowly unravelling at the middle. de Silva simply does not the read the cheeky delivery from Chahar first-up on return. A thick edge flies straight up and the skipper Dhawan easily foils below it. Dhananjaya de Silva c Dhawan b Chahar 32 (45b 1x4)
Deepak Chahar into the attack
SL 132/3 in 27 overs: Kuldeep continues to drag the ball short and the batters find it easy to put them off the infield to find the singles.
Kuldeep replaces Bhuvneshwar
SL 126/3 in 26 overs: Krunal has owned this end. He continues to give minimum width to the batters, rushing the ball onto the stumps to pin them down.
SL 124/3 in 25 overs: Bhuvneshwar to Fernando. OUT! Reaches his fifty and throws it away. Bizarre from Avishka.
And the change to bring back Bhuvi has worked and it's largely couple with some shoddy sense of batting from Avishka. He gets carried with the milestone and just hoicks a ball that rushes onto him off the deck. No trouble at all for Krunal Pandya at midwicket as Bhuvi gets his first wicket of the series.
Avishka Fernando c KH Pandya b Kumar 50 (71b 4x4 1x6)
SL 118/2 in 24 overs: First boundary after 97 balls! Krunal offer length and Fernando steps down and lofts it smoothly over extra-cover to the boundary. A relieving shot for the home side and they would be hoping to slow raise the notch from here before tossing it away.
SL 110/2 in 23 overs: Fernando exhibits a hint of aggession as he attempts to cross the infield off Bhuvneshwar. Three runs off his over on return and Bhuvi continues to bowl with a good drop in pace.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the attack
SL 107/2 in 22 overs: Krunal continues to keep the batsmen rooted to the crease. No width whatsoever and the batters continue to search for new ways to break the rut.
SL 103/2 in 21 overs: 100 up for the Lankans! The run-rate has dipped below five and that would be playing on the batters' minds rather than reaching the three-figure mark at the moment.
SL 98/2 in 20 overs:
Krunal continues to keep the batters on their toes. Running through the overs and increasing the pressure on the batsmen to find the gaps.
SL 96/2 in 19 overs: Kuldeep continues to fiddle with length as the batters try to build a partnership. SL cannot afford a wicket at the moment and would want these two to see off the spinners for a bit before setting up a base to attack. Boundaries not a priority for these two at the moment.
SL 94/2 in 18 overs: Typical Krunal as he dashes through the over. Keeps it tight to the stumps but the batters have pierced the gap to rotate strike.
Krunal Pandya replaces Chahal
SL 90/2 in 17 overs: Some drift for Kuldeep in this over but the lack of pace is helping the batters to wade him off at the moment.
SL 86/2 in 16 overs: Chahal's confident has risen and he continues to flight the ball with more verve and push behind it. A couple of singles as Sri Lanka has lost its momentum once again in a flash.
SL 83/2 in 15 overs: Kuldeep continues to bowl slower through the air and the batters seem to have an easy time in finding the gaps off him at the moment.
SL 78/2 in 14 overs: Chahal to Minod. OUT! Caught off a full-toss! Slower in the air and Minod steps forward and hits it straight to Pandey at midwicket. Rajapaksa is the new man and Chahal gets him first-ball! 2 in 2 for the leggie! Seems like a top-spinner has done the damage as Rajapaksha sets himself forward, expecting the leg-break. The ball sustains the line and takes a faint edge before carrying to Kishan with a steep bounce. Minod Bhanuka c Pandey b Chahal 36 (42b 6x4); Bhanuka Rajapaksa c †Ishan Kishan b Chahal 0 (1b)
SL 74/0 in 13 overs:
Kuldeep begins his first over with a slower, loopy delivery with an aim for turn. Bhanuka steps forward with ease and glides him confidently through midwicket.
Kuldeep Yadav replaces Hardik
SL 70/0 in 12 overs:
The openers are seeing through the tricky phase with a watchful eye. Chahal mixes up the length and pace deftly and Fernando keeps himself rooted to the crease and lets a few to drift past him.
SL 66/0 in 11 overs: Pandya facing the heat.
Pandya begins with a quick bumper that flies over Kishan to the boundary. The heat and effort seems to have gotten to him.
Pandya is clutching his lower back as he completes his over.
SL 59/0 in 10 overs: Chahal draws Bhanuka into a closer line to the stumps this time. No width offered and the left-hander negotiates with a fine forward press.
SL 57/0 in 9 overs:
Pandya rushes the batsmen by keeping a fine channel around the stumps. Fernando and Minod resort to singles to keep the scoreboard moving.
SL 53/0 in 8 overs: Fifty up for Sri Lanka! Minod takes on Chahal early on, lofting him over mid-off for a boundary. Chahal nearly has his man as the left-hander aims for a wry heave, the top-edge falls just away from midwicket's reach and the openers bring up a 50-run stand. Top start here for the home side.
Yuzvendra Chahal replaces Chahar
- early changes made by the Indian captain
SL 44/0 in 7 overs: Pandya starts with a no-ball and Fernando tonks the short-ball on free-hit to the midwicket boundary for four. The openers have once again found a good start as Dhawan's having some early concerns with his bowlers.
Hardik Pandya replaces Bhuvneshwar
SL 37/0 in 6 overs: Boundaries coming thick and fast! Both bowlers have given away length despite being favoured with swing today. Chahar pushes the short outside off and Minod easily rocks back and puts it for four through square leg. Chahar goes full next and Bhanuka nails the perfect straight drive down the ground - shot of the day so far!
SL 28/0 in 5 overs: Bhanuka gets into the act. Bhuvneshwar bowls his first no-ball since 2015 and Bhanuka cashes in off the free hit with a wild heave to the midwicket boundary. Some touch play at the end of the over as Bhanuka elegantly pushes the ball down the ground past Bhuvi for another four.
SL 19/0 in 4 overs: Fernando switches on! Chahar begins loosely and Fernando lets him know it. He lofts a poor ball outside off to the long-off boundary and follows it up with a stylish flick that has fine leg in contention for a moment before sailing over for six.
SL 7/0 in 3 overs: Bhuvneshwar with a lot straighter length this time. Hits the good length and the batters negotiate carefully.
SL 6/0 in 2 overs: Edged and it's Pandey again! DROPPED.
Chahar finds a thick outside edge off Bhanuka with a sharp outswinger and Manish Pandey is at the receiving end once again. Pandey went low to his right with one hand and drops a regulation catch. A bit lazy there from one of India's best hands on the field.
SL 2/0 in 1 over: Bhuvneshwar nearly snaps Fernando! Some gentle swing going on for Bhuvi from ball one and he gets a fine edge from Avishka off the fourth ball. Manish Pandey dives to his right at second slip but the ball moves just past him to his left to third man. Avishka's soft hands have handed him an early reprieve.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the ball.
Match ready! In walk the Sri Lankan openers Avishka Fernando and Minod Bhanuka. Dhawan's men take their positions.
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2:50PM IST: Ten minutes from the start. Sri Lanka has retained its batting structure for the game. Can the batsmen capitalise on their starts in what seems like a decent pitch in the Lankan captain's eyes?
2:40PM IST: The seniors are ready. India's first-class game against County Select will begin at 4:30pm. We will keep an eye on that fixture as well.
TOSS: Sri Lanka wins the Toss, elects to bat first
Shikhar Dhawan : It was a great job from the bowlers to restrict them to 260. The spinners were excellent bowling in tandem. My batting is all about the situation. I just looked to rotate strike because the others were batting superbly. We're playing the same side.
Dasun Shanaka
: We'll bat first. The wicket looks better than the last game and batting first would be ideal. We finished well, but we need to consolidate better in the middle overs. Kasun Rajitha comes in for Udana.
TOSS TIME!
2:20PM IST: Suryakumar Yadav speaks to the broadcasters: "Enjoyed it (debut innings) completely. I've been doing the same thing for the last two years, and just looked to bat like how I do in the nets. I think the passion for this game kept me going. My dad kept telling me to stay patient and that the opportunity would come. I have been bowling as well , and am ready if the captain asks me to.
2:07PM IST: Live visuals have Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw have a short football session. Will Samson end a six-year wait and make his ODI debut today?
2:00PM IST: 30 minutes to the Toss. Meanwhile, the senior India team led by Virat Kohli will be featuring in a first-class game against the County Select XI later this evening. We will hopefully keep a tab on that game as well.
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NUMBERS GAME
MATCH PREVIEW
A classical rout by 'young' India put the Lankans gasping for breath on Sunday. As much as the home skipper expected for an evenly-poised contest ahead of the series opener, India's exuberant stars led by a debutant captain in Shikhar Dhawan, beat the pulp out of the Sri Lankan bowlers while the batters threw away decent starts.
While India's spin duo of Chahal, Kuldeep kept it tight up-front, a stingy Krunal Pandya gave away no easy runs for the Lankan batters - recording figures of one for 26 in 10 overs.
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Hardik Pandya made a feeble return to bowling and found his rhythm towards the death overs before India's lead pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was blown to all parts by the host's no.8, Karunaratne who top-scored while squeezing his side past 250.
India's chase went on expected lines as Prithvi Shaw and debutant Ishan Kishan walloped the bowlers with manic succession. The skipper Dhawan kept a watchful eye from the other end as the youngsters practically sealed the game in the first 15 overs.
Come Tuesday, Shanaka's men would enter the field with negligible time spent on reparations. Another series is on the line after eight out of nine ODI losses this year. Can a hero emerge and keep the series alive for the Sri Lankans or will India raise the bar further in Colombo?
WHAT THEY SAID
Squads:
When will the 2nd ODI between Sri Lanka and India start and where to watch?
The second ODI between India and Sri Lanka will begin at 3pm IST at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Toss will occur at 2:30pm.
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