India v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI - India Predicted XI

Team India were left shell shocked by the Sri Lankan bowling in the first ODI at Dharamsala. They were found wanting for options in the match to save themselves from massive embarrassment. Reeling at 29/7, they stared right at the threat of registering their lowest ODI score. It was the wise old man MS Dhoni who helped the team reach a respectable total.

Well, in all fairness, many felt that the experimentation of laying out green tracks for the series, in a bid to prepare for the South Africa series, is perhaps hurting the team India. But, going by the way Indian team has approached their cricket in the recent times, they seem to be unmoved by these claims. When the two sides lock horns at Mohali for the second ODI, one would expect another pace friendly track at their disposal.

So, this, in essence, equates to the fact that track and the conditions are unlikely to change. So what exactly does team India do to ensure they stay alive in the 3-match series. Will they be tempted to field the local lad Siddarth Kaul in the side? Or will the experience of Ajinkya Rahane get a look in for the match?

Here is the India Predicted XI for the match:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma)

In the opening department, the team could think about stuffing in Ajinkya Rahane at the top with Shikhar Dhawan and have Rohit Sharma come in at number three. Rohit has batted in the middle order for his IPL franchise before. However, all of this would be a little too much of an experimentation for the think tank.

Hence, it is very much likely that Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will continue to open the batting for team India. Both players have had calm outings in the New Zealand ODI series and hence, would want to get back to scoring ways before tougher challenges beckon in South Africa.

Middle-Order (Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey)

In the middle-order, team India will be desperate to accommodate experience in the form of Rahane. But skipper Rohit Sharma recently remarked that the team does not wish to change Rahane from his opening position. Hence, he will continue to be the backup opener. What this means is that the team is likely to retain the same set of players for the second ODI as well.

They would want to believe that the failure in the first ODI was a case of rare failure by the Indian middle-order. At number 3, Shreyas Iyer would be keen on leaving his mark in the international cricket. Dinesh Karthik, who faced 18 balls for his duck in the first ODI, will be the one coming in at number four.

The pivotal number 5 position goes to Manish Pandey. Incidentally, Pandey is the most experienced batsman among the lot and will have a lot of responsibility to shoulder in the match. He will hope to live up to the expectations.

Wicketkeeper (MS Dhoni)

If there was a player who saved some grace for the Indian team in the previous match, then it was MS Dhoni. The former team India skipper was the standout performer in the match. He has been under the scrutiny in the recent times and he managed to silence all his critics with a fighting 65 at Dharamsala. With the gloves, his services remain unmatched.

All-rounders (Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar)

The all-rounders gang can see a bit of shuffle for the match. Hardik Pandya will continue to retain his place in the side. He would want to cover up for the string of low scores he is carrying ever since the New Zealand series. Young Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar could be in line to make his debut in the match. Including Sundar in the lineup will not only add to the bowling variety but will beef up the batting as well.

Spinners (Yuzvendra Chahal)

In the spin bowling department, the team is likely to see a change. In all likelihood, only one among Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav could make the cut. Despite the fact that Kuldeep had a decent game in the previous match with the bat, he could be rested for the game. The team is likely to go with Yuzvendra Chahal as the preferred spinner in the side.

Pace bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah)

In the pace bowling department, it is unlikely that the team would tinker with the tried and tested duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. Both these gentlemen have performed well in the recent times to retain their places in the side. Even in the previous ODI, Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar had kept things tight early on in the innings.

With very little to defend, the blame can really not be put on these two. They bowled tight lines with the new ball and gave very few runs away. It was an over by Hardik Pandya that followed their opening spell, which eased out some pressure from the Sri Lankan batsmen.