India vs Sri Lanka | Predicted XI for second ODI in Mohali
After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Dharamsala ODI, the Rohit Sharma-led team might make a couple of changes to their playing XI for the do-or-die encounter in Mohali. While Ajinkya Rahane may get a recall to the XI, Shreyas Iyer might have to wait a bit longer to get his next match.
Shikhar Dhawan - From the very first ball of the first match, Dhawan didn't look comfortable at the crease as he failed to read Mathews’ swing. After being beaten by two out-swingers, Dhawan was caught plumb by an inswinging ball that struck him in front of middle to give the visitors their first wicket. But the Delhi opener, who has the rare ability to take down any opposition on his day, may want to forget the innings and will try to come out good in Mohali – the venue that holds great memories for him as he made a roaring 187 runs on his Test debut against Australia there.Â
Rohit Sharma - It wasn’t the kind of initiation to international captaincy that Rohit Sharma would have hoped for and going by that, he might not be in a good state of mind now. But for India to do well in the next matches, the team needs his runs more than ever, especially as Virat Kohli is not playing. He has also been enjoying a great run of form and once he clicks, it will be very difficult for the island nation to stop him.
Ajinkya Rahane - Rahane struggled for runs in the Test series and failed to find a place for the first ODI as well and Rohit later clarified that he doesn’t want to change Rahane’s position and sees him as a backup opener in the side. Despite that, Iyer totally looked out of place in the first ODI and that might result in the Test regular making a comeback to the side.Â
Dinesh Karthik - Karthik emerged as the best answer to India’s No.4 conundrum. However, in the first ODI, the Tamil Nadu stumper took 18 balls for his duck which is the most by any Indian batsman in the ODI history. He is supposed to carry the responsibility of the team in the next match and also needs to forget the Dharamsala outing at the earliest.
Manish Pandey -Â Despite having a great footwork against the pacers, Pandey looked all at sea in the first ODI and got a leading edge and was caught in the slips. For all the talent that he has, Pandey has really been inconsistent for India and will not have a better chance than this to hit gold.
MS Dhoni (wk) -Â Suranga Lakmal and Angelo Mathews looked unplayable on a pitch that offered plenty of movement and caused wickets to go down like nine pins after the hosts were asked to bat. However, Dhoni helped India past the 100-run mark and once again, showcased a glimpse of his heydays by not allowing the pressure getting on to him. India will obviously want a firing Dhoni once again to come out good and that should begin from Mohali.
Hardik Pandya - Pandya made his ODI debut in Dharamsala and would have hoped to create some happy memories at the same venue, but as it turned out, the outing was a forgettable one for him. He could score only 10 runs and gave away 39 runs in five overs at an economy rate of 7.80, but that doesn’t reflect the amount of talent that he has. He is capable of doing a lot more and will just want to bring that up against South Africa.Â
Bhuvneshwar Kumar -Â Bhuvi could play only the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Kolkata before he had to leave for personal reasons, and still finished with the best figures in the whole series. The swing bowler has really been at the top drawer this year where he has taken 26 wickets in 22 matches so far at an economy rate of 5.09. In the first match as well, he was brilliant with the ball and despite registering a figure of 42/1, he has proved that he is a match-winner in his own right.
Jasprit Bumrah -Â Perhaps the most exciting talent that the whole nation is looking at. The Mumbai Indians bowler has been breath-taking with his ability to bowl at the right areas consistently. His pairing with Bhuvi is considered as one of the best in the world at the moment. He has claimed a mind-boggling 36 wickets in 21 games this year so far, with an economy rate of 5.21.
Kuldeep Yadav -Â After coming into the spotlight with some breath-taking spells against Australia earlier this year, the chinaman bowler has been quiet over the period of the Test series and also in the series against New Zealand. Being a very rare breed, India kept him on the bench in the Test series. Yadav has scalped a whopping 19 wickets in 12 games this year.
Yuzvendra Chahal - Of late, Chahal has usurped the place of the skipper’s go-to bowler from Yadav. He has taken 15 wickets in 11 games so far this year, but he has really attained his peak in the New Zealand series where the 23-year-old took four wickets in three games. If Chahal, alongside Yadav, manages to boss the middle-order, it will be very difficult for the Lankan team to stop him.Â