After a fantastic win in the first ODI, Pakistan would be looking forward to put up a similar show against Sri Lanka in the second game of the five-match series at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.
Pakistan won the first match by six wickets, thanks to a brilliant all-round performance from Mohammad Hafeez, first with the ball and then with the bat. He picked up a four-for and gave away just 41 runs in his 10 overs and then when he came out to bat, he scored a match-winning ton to guide his side over the line against the hapless hosts.
Bowling will be a serious concern for skipper Angelo Mathews. Rangana Herath has been left out of the ODI squad and so has been Nuwan Kulasekara. Sachithra Senanayeke has remodelled his action, but it did not make any impact on the Pakistani batsmen. Lasith Malinga proved to be the most expensive bowler in the first ODI for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is likely to go with the same team and so will Pakistan. The visitors will not be fiddling with their winning combination ahead of the second ODI. Sri Lanka will have to rethink about their past mistakes and get their basics right in order to outplay the in-form Pakistan team.
The big guns of the hosts will have to fire if they would want to bounce back in this ODI series. Tillakaratne Dilshan struggled to find the middle of the bat and so did the most of the Lankan batsmen in the first ODI. Dinesh Chandimal was the only ray of hope who helped the Lankans post a respectable total on the board.
Weather:
The weather forecasts say that there might be spells of showers in the afternoon, but it would not threaten the game. The wicket is seam-friendly and is likely to assist the pacers under the floodlights.
Expected Line-ups:
Sri Lanka: Kusal Pereira, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Angelo Mathews (C), Thisara Perera / Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal.
Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali (C), Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali.
Where to Watch Live:
The second ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will start at 1:30pm local time (1:30pm IST, 9am BST, 8am GMT, 1pm PST) with live coverage in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Ten Cricket and Ten HD. The live streaming option will be available on Tensports.com.
Cricket fans in Pakistan can stream the match live on GeoSuperTv.
Viewers in the US can watch the match live on Willow TV and stream the game on Willow TV Online.
