3 things India need to do right to beat Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI ft. Shivam Dube's batting position
India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in the second ODI of the three-match series at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, August 4. A series lead is up for grabs for both teams, with the opening game ending in a thrilling tie.
India are the clear favorites in most of their series against Sri Lanka, but that hasn't been the case this time around. The hosts have run the visitors close in consecutive games now and have what it takes to get over the line.
With that in mind, the Men in Blue need to be spot on from a tactical perspective. Under the new management, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, they are still finding their feet and finetuning their plans.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat Sri Lanka in the second ODI.
#3 Shivam Dube needs to be used against the spinners in the middle overs
In the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka, Shivam Dube came to the crease at No. 8. While the move nearly paid off for the visitors, with Dube smashing a couple of sixes in a quickfire cameo, it's a few positions too low for a player whose primary skillset is taking on spin.
Dube cannot be viewed as a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya and instead needs to bat in the middle overs, where he's at his best. He could come in at either No. 5 or No. 6, depending upon the situation.
With the likes of KL Rahul being perfectly suited to take on pace, India need to make this change in the batting department before it's too late.
#2 India's middle-order batters can't waste starts
The series opener saw as many as five Indian batters getting off to starts without converting them. Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Axar Patel all fell victim to soft dismissals after getting their eye in.
Going forward in the series, that cannot be the case for the visitors. They need players to play knocks of the type Pathum Nissanka and Dunith Wellalage played in the first ODI. On turning tracks, a batter getting set and holding one end up is invaluable.
#1 India might need more than 30 overs of spin
India have three quality spinners in Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, but 30 overs of spin might not be enough for the second ODI. With considerable turn on offer, India will need to consider the option of fielding a fourth spinner since none of their top-order batters are part-time options.
Riyan Parag is the obvious candidate. The youngster made his T20I debut in the preceding series and impressed all with his control and variations. It's hard to say who he can replace in the side, but if India are willing to go left-field, they could sacrifice a fast bowler and play an extra batting all-rounder.