The Sri Lanka vs India Test series continues on Thursday when the second match of three begins in Colombo. This is a big match for both sides. Sri Lanka know they have to win it to have a chance of winning the series and must not lose it to remain in the series.
India head into the contest knowing full well that if they pick up a second consecutive win they will secure the series with a match to spare so there is a lot on the line heading in here.
Sri Lanka
If it could go wrong in the first Test it did do for Sri Lanka. Some of their problems they brought on themselves but then injuries never helped them especially when the injury occurred to an all-rounder. They may well have lost the match anyway but they would most likely have been more competitive.
Given the injuries they sustained it is hard to judge their performance in the first match but clearly they need more intensity with the ball if they are to get through this one in front. As such it might be that a result wicket is prepared although that would heap the pressure on their batsmen who may not cope.
India
I would imagine India will want a repeat of the performance they gave in that first Test. They were dominant with the bat and ruthless with the ball in hand and in the field and they are never bad combinations to have in any form of the game let alone this one. They may need to guard against complacency.
India are clearly carrying a lot of confidence into every match they play with them. One of the reasons for that is having a squad which is useful in all conditions and which they can change personnel to suit the pitch they play on. They know they are going to be very tough to beat wherever they play.
Team News
Asela Gunaratne is out for the rest of the series with the injury he sustained in the first Test. Dinesh Chandimal returns from a ban to skipper the side with Dhananjaya de Silva expected to feature too.
India have confirmed that KL Rahul will return for the match with Abhinav Mukund the man most likely to make way. Hardik Pandya could also sit out if India opt for the third spinner in Kuldeep Yadav.
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
There have been 40 past matches on this ground and Sri Lanka have a decent record here. They have 19 wins to just seven defeats with 14 draws which is a much better record and India who have two wins and two losses from eight attempts.
Generally this is a good batting strip for the first three days or so but the longer the match wears on the more it will take spin and by the end it will be turning sharply so the toss could be important here.
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Betting
As with the first match I am already on India to win the game having backed them to win the series 3-0 and I am happy to leave things with that as far as the match in concerned but I will take one bet for these five days.
It is the same bet I took in the first Test which is Angelo Mathews’ performance. The line is slightly higher at 71.5 but he covered it with a 95 total. He now moves to a ground where he averages 74.12 per innings with the bat so his comfort on this track combined with his catching potential should see this line covered once again.
Tips
WON – Back A.Mathews’ Performance – Over 71.5pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Paddy Power
Back him here:
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