India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI at Eden Gardens: Probable India Playing 11 in Kolkata on January 12

The
second
game
of
the
three-match
series
will
be
played
at
the
iconic
Eden
Gardens
in
Kolkata.
The
performance
of
India’s
top
three
batters
in
Guwahati
must
have
given
the
side
a
lot
of
confidence.

Virat
Kohli
–
who
ended
his
century
drought
for
nearly
three
years
with
his
maiden
T20I
ton
against
Afghanistan
in
the
Asia
Cup
last
year
–
has
regained
his
menacing
form
in
white-ball
format.

Top-three
Indian
batters
start
with
a
bang
in
World
Cup
year

Kohli
slammed
his
73rd
International
ton
in
Guwahati
as
it
was
his
second
consecutive
ODI
century.
It
was
Kohli’s
sublime
knock
which
helped
India
post
a
mammoth
373
for
seven
on
the
board
and
helped
India
win
the
game
by
67
runs.

The
34-year-old
batter
looked
in
supreme
control
in
Guwahati
and
made
Sri
Lankans
pay
the
price
for
two
dropped
chances.
It
was
like
the
Kohli
of
the
old
as
he
looked
uncluttered
and
no
Sri
Lankan
bowler
troubled
him.

Returning
from
an
injury,
Indian
skipper
Rohit
Sharma
too
allayed
any
concerns
whatsoever
of
being
short
on
match
fitness
as
he
took
on
the
Lankan
attack
in
a
67-ball
83
to
set
the
foundation
for
a
mammoth
total.
He
seemed
to
be
in
his
zone
before
coming
to
his
favourite
venue
Eden
Gardens.

The
last
time
the
two
teams
met
in
an
ODI
here,
Rohit
struck
that
world
record
of
264
eight
years
back.
Now,
the
Mumbaikar
is
back
to
his
favourite
venue
as
the
Indian
skipper
and
he
would
be
definitely
keen
to
get
to
a
big
score.

Young
opener
Shubman
Gill
also
seems
to
be
in
splendid
form
in
the
50-overs
format
and
the
talented
right-handed
batter
–
who
scored
70
in
Guwahati
–
will
be
aiming
to
produce
something
special
in
Kolkata,
where
he
has
played
a
lot
of
cricket.

Indian
top-order
looks
sorted
and
would
once
again
look
to
dominate
the
pedestrian
Lankan
attack.
Gill
getting
a
preference
over
Ishan
Kishan
–
who
slammed
a
double
hundred
in
the
last
ODI
which
India
played
in
Bangladesh
–
silenced
the
debate
with
his
aesthetic
knock
of
70
off
just
60
balls.

Strong
India
middle-order

With
Shreyas
Iyer
also
coming
back
from
a
dream
ODI
run
last
year
and
occupying
the
no
4
spot
with
his
flair
for
tackling
spin
and
rotating
strike
in
the
middle
overs,
the
only
spot
that
may
open
up
in
the
batting
order
is
that
of
KL
Rahul.

Rahul,
who
also
doubles
up
as
a
wicketkeeper,
has
been
in
a
wretched
form
of
late
but
may
get
a
long
run,
especially
in
the
series
to
prolong
Kishan’s
wait.
But
if
the
team
management
decides
to
strengthen
the
wicketkeeping
department
then
Kishan
might
get
the
go-ahead.

All-rounders
Hardik
Pandya
and
Axar
Patel
are
equally
capable
of
tormenting
the
opposition
with
their
ability
to
hit
big
sixes
and
they
are
in
good
form
as
well.

India
bowling
attack
vs
Sri
Lanka
in
2nd
ODI

In
the
bowling
department,
Mohammed
Siraj
continued
to
raise
his
stakes
and
looked
terrific
with
the
new
ball
in
an
opening
spell
of
5-1-15-2,
laced
with
25
dot
balls
on
a
flat
deck
at
Barsapara
Stadium.

On
Eden’s
fast
deck,
Siraj
will
relish
the
challenge
of
bowling
with
old
warhorse
Mohammed
Shami
as
it
remains
to
be
seen
whether
the
team
think
tank
opts
for
an
extra
seamer.

Umran
Malik
–
who
picked
up
a
three-for
in
Guwahati
–
played
the
role
of
the
enforcer
in
the
middle
overs
till
Dasun
Shanaka
took
on
him
en
route
to
a
fine
century.
The
young
pace
gun
is
a
work
in
progress
and
would
look
to
improve
with
every
match.
His
express
pace
has
been
a
subject
of
discussion
and
he
even
became
the
fastest
Indian
bowler
after
clocking
156
kmph
in
Guwahati.

Probable
India
Playing
XI
in
2nd
ODI
vs
Sri
Lanka

With
plenty
of
positives
from
the
opening
game,
skipper
Rohit
Sharma
might
be
inclined
to
go
with
the
unchanged
side.
However,
conditions
in
Kolkata
could
force
the
team
management
to
tweak
the
playing
eleven.

Let
us
take
a
look
at
the
Probable
India
XI
for
the
2nd
ODI
against
Sri
Lanka.

1.
Shubman
Gill

2.
Rohit
Sharma
(Captain)

3.
Virat
Kohli

4.
Shreyas
Iyer

5.
KL
Rahul
(wk)/Ishan
Kishan

6.
Hardik
Pandya

7.
Axar
Patel

8.
Washington
Sundar

9.
Mohammed
Shami

10.
Mohammed
Siraj

11.
Umran
Malik