India eyes series win in Kolkata as Sri Lanka battles form and injury concerns

Subman Gill’s trick is revealed again. Rohit Sharma gets his first win of the year. And Virat Kohli hits the knockout punch.

As if it wasn’t a great start to the build-up to the ODI World Cup, Mohammed Siraj’s exploits with the new ball and Umran Malik’s magical spell in the middle kept India at bay for most of the opening ODI on Tuesday.

As the tour entourage moves from the Northeast region to the holy grail of cricket in the East Metro, Rohit and co. Head coach Rahul Dravid will be keen to extend his birthday celebrations by sealing another series at Eden Gardens.
Sri Lanka – with none of its squad members having experience of playing at the Colosseum – will be hoping for a miracle to keep the series alive till the weekend. Despite the positive result – and despite Rohit and Kohli returning to their favorite spots – India still have a lot to think about going into the World Cup.

The combination India chose for the series opener is unlikely to be tinkered with. But it will be interesting to see how India manage the reserves, especially the pair of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.

Gill, Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul has undoubtedly been India’s best performer in ODIs since the start of 2022. But Kishan’s double century in Rohit’s absence in Bangladesh and Suryakumar being in the form of his life, especially. In T20Is, both must feel hard for being benched in the ongoing series.
Ishan and Suryakumar’s body language in the dugout during the series opener on Tuesday was positive. But the team management has to go the extra mile to ensure that the dressing room is positive and vibrant.

Despite Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka finishing the game on a high and the visiting team crossing the 300-run mark, India are unlikely to change their bowling line-up. The only point of discussion is whether Hardik Pandya – who played four games in 10 days with an extensive tour – will be given a break to manage his workload.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will have a lot to think about going into a must-win game. Its lackluster outing and poor catching in the powerplay cost it big time in Guwahati. To add to its woes, left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madhushanka is unlikely to feature on Thursday after dislocating his right shoulder during the first ODI.