After opening classic, Sri Lanka and India look to break tie and get the lead

More Grip and Turn at Khettarama?

The Importance of ODIs:
ODI cricket seems to be losing priority in world cricket. India’s schedule shows this, as they only have one more ODI series between their current tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in early 2025.

Bilateral ODIs:
It’s an odd time for bilateral ODIs, especially with Sri Lanka not qualifying for the Champions Trophy. However, Friday’s match was a classic, showing that ODIs can still be exciting and important for the sport.

Current Series:
Sri Lanka has two more matches against India in this series. After struggling in the T20Is, Sri Lanka showed resilience by recovering from a poor start in the first ODI. The spin-friendly conditions in Colombo have helped level the playing field between the teams.

Players to Watch:

• Avishka Fernando (Sri Lanka): Since returning from injury in 2023, he hasn’t performed consistently, averaging under 20. However, he had a strong showing in the LPL 2024, indicating he might be returning to form.
• Washington Sundar (India): He had mixed results in the first ODI, being expensive with the ball and scoring only 5 runs. He faces competition from other spin-bowling allrounders in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy.

Team Updates:

• Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga is out with a hamstring injury, replaced by Jeffrey Vandersay. They might bring in Chamika Karunaratne to strengthen their batting.
• India: Mohammed Siraj might get a break, with Khaleel Ahmed or Harshit Rana possibly getting a chance to play.

Pitch and Conditions:
Khettarama’s pitch favors spinners, who took most of the wickets in the first ODI. Similar conditions are expected for the next match, though scattered showers are forecasted.

Stats and Trivia:

• India had won six consecutive ODIs against Sri Lanka before Friday’s tie. Their last loss to Sri Lanka was in July 2021.
• Virat Kohli is close to reaching 14,000 ODI runs, needing 128 more runs to join Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in achieving this milestone.
• Mohammed Siraj has an excellent ODI record against Sri Lanka, taking 20 wickets in seven matches at an average of 9.10.
• Pathum Nissanka has the highest average among Sri Lankan batsmen with at least 2000 ODI runs and the fourth-best strike rate.