India were a shambles when the young Sri Lanka pacers launched an attack on them during the 1st T20 in Pune.
Now it is time for MS Dhoni & co. to get their act together and play the kind of game they are expected to play ahead of the two big tournaments -- Asia Cup T20 and ICC World T20.
The India batsmen need to bat sensibly in the 2nd T20, which will be held at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Friday.
Here is a look at some the key battles that one can expect during the 2nd T20 between India and Sri Lanka:
1. Rohit Sharma vs Kasun Rajitha: Rohit was on fire during India's tour of Australia, and he was expected to bring that form into this series. But he was dismissed for a duck in the 1st T20 by youngster Kasun Rajitha, who was adjudged the man of the match for his heroics with the ball on his international debut. We all know how good Rohit is when he gets going. He just needs to stick around for a bit, before playing his shots. After a stellar performance in the 1st T20, Rajitha will be confident of doing well in 2nd T20 as well.
2. Yuvraj Singh vs Dushmantha Chameera: The six that Yuvraj hit off the second ball of his innings in the 1st T20, shows that he still has a lot of cricket left in him. But he still is uncomfortable playing those quick short balls that hurries on to him. That is exactly how he got out in the 1st T20. Yuvraj cannot keep repeating the same mistake in the 2nd T20. Chameera will look to bowl short and fast to the left-hander again. The Ranchi wicket will not generate that bounce which the wicket in Pune did, though, and as a result Chameera will have to be careful, because if he misses his length, Yuvraj wil hit the ball out of the park.
3. Suresh Raina vs Dasun Shanaka: The young Sri Lankan all-rounder made Raina's leg stump cartwheel in the first ODI. It was a peach of a delivery on a wicket that was assisting the fast bowlers. Raina will study that dismissal and look to better his game against Shanaka in the 2nd T20. The wicket in Ranchi is not expected to have a greenish tinge, and is usually good for batting. Shanaka should bowl wisely to Raina, who is one of the best in the business in this format of the game.
4. Tillakaratne Dilshan vs Jasprit Bumrah: The young speedster has won many hearts with his unconventional action and ability to bowl fast and straight. His first three overs in the 1st T20 was outstanding, as he troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with his pace and movement. It will be interesting to see how Dilshan, who is likely to replace Niroshan Dickwella in the 2nd T20, handles the young Mumbai Indians paceman.
5. Dinesh Chandimal vs Ravichandran Ashwin: Even on wicket that was of no help to the spinners, Ashwin managed to bag a couple of scalps in the 1st T20 in Pune. If the Ranchi wicket allows the ball to grip, Ashwin will be very dangerous. Chandimal, who played a sensible innings in the 1st T20 to guide Sri Lanka over the line, will be wary of Ashwin's abilities in such kinds of wickets. The Sri Lanka captain is one of their most experienced batsmen in the lineup, and he needs to use that experience to counter Ashwin.
