Sri Lanka v West Indies 2nd ODI preview: West Indies look to stay alive

Sri Lanka v West Indies 2nd ODI preview: West Indies look to stay alive: Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI clinched a 1 wicket win over West Indies at Colombo, courtesy a calm and composed cameo by Ajantha Mendis. The opening encounter was filled with twists and turns, as both West Indies and Sri Lanka had their fair share of fortunes.

The 2^nd ODI will be vital for both the teams, as Sri Lanka will look to seal the series right away, while West Indies will hope to inject some life and keep the 3- match series alive.

Sri Lanka

The hosts will take all the positives from Sunday’s game. The bowling line up packed a punch, with Lasith Malinga giving away only 20 runs from his 6 overs at an economy of 3.33. Suranga Lakmal will look to carry the good work; having picked up 3 wickets for 15 runs in 5 overs. Mendis will look to curb the flow of runs, as the fielding looked pretty decent.

When it comes to batting, Sri Lanka will look at Dilshan to provide a similar start going into the 2^nd ODI. The opening partnership of 46 runs off 29 balls laid the foundation, going into the chase. All the batsmen in the middle order got starts but failed to convert them into big ones.

Debutant Shehan Jayasuriya had a forgettable game, but will look to grab the chances in the upcoming clash. The lower order may well be  a concern for the Lankans, as Ajantha Mendis was the only bright spot in the pack.

Sri Lanka will look to play down the Narine threat and bank on composure and application.

West Indies

With Jason Holder suspended for the 2^nd ODI, West Indies will have their task cut out.

Darren Bravo will be the key man for West Indies, while the visitors will bank on Andre Russell for the late storm. On papers, the batting line up looks promising, with Marlon Samuels bringing the experience into the side. The top order will need to fire, as they will look to capitalize from the start.

The bowling department will revolve around Sunil Narine. The mystery bowler was instrumental in getting the visitors back in the game from a losing set.

Brathwaite  also did a decent job with the ball, picking up 2 wickets for 35 runs.

Jonathan Carter will take a lot of confidence from his splendid spell (2-14), while the fielding will be crucial in cutting down the early charge by the Lankan batsmen.

Last 5 Encounters

Sri Lanka:  W L L W W

West Indies:  L L W L L

Pitch

A batsmen friendly pitch will be on the cards, R Premadasa stadium is well known for assisting spinners during the later stages of the game. With the likes of Narine and Mendis rolling their arms, the batsmen will look to capitalize early on.

Stats

5 – West Indies have played 6 ODIs at Premadasa, winning 2 and losing 4.

1 – No of ODIs West Indies have played post 2015 World Cup. They lost the previous encounter by 1 wicket.

1556 – The number of runs Dilshan has scored at Premadasa. This is the highest tally amongst current players, and 4^th highest of all time at Premadasa.

45 – No of wickets taken by Malinga at Premadasa, coming in just 28 matches.

252 – Highest runs by a player in West Indies-Sri Lanka matches amongst active players, by Marlon Samuels. He scored it in 15 matches.

12 – Most number of wickets taken by a player in West Indies-Sri Lanka matches amongst active players, by Lasith Malinga in 7 matches.

253 – Highest total in a SL-WI match at RPS, made by Sri Lanka way back in 2001.

72 – No of runs Angelo Mathews needs to score to achieve the 4000 runs landmark in ODIs.

Squad:

West Indies:

Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin(wk), Andre Russell, Jason Holder(C), Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, Jerome Taylor, Ravi Rampaul, Jonathan Carter, Jason Mohammed, Jermaine Blackwood, Devendra Bishoo.

Sri Lanka:

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera(wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Mathews(C), Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Jeffrey Vandersay.