3 things India need to do right to beat Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I
India can seal the three-match series against Sri Lanka with a win in the second T20I on Sunday, July 28. A day earlier, the Men in Blue came out on top by 43 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the rubber.
It was a fairly convincing margin of victory for India, but they were seriously tested at times. The Sri Lankan openers gave them a run for their money in the first half of the chase, and a couple of the home side's bowlers sent down threatening spells as well.
What can India do better to ensure that there are no hiccups this time around?
T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat Sri Lanka in the second T20I.
#3 It's time for a batting order rejig
Rishabh Pant batting at No. 3 didn't work well for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. In the first T20I, he batted at No. 4 and looked completely out of sorts throughout his knock. It's time for the Men in Blue to consider a change.
Suryakumar Yadav is the ideal candidate to bat at No. 3, and Riyan Parag can slot in at No. 4, where he had a breakthrough Indian Premier League campaign. Pant is a good hitter of pace and can be deployed lower down the order, although the better option would be to replace him with Sanju Samson.
Either way, India's batting order needs a rejig.
#2 Fielding will be in focus on Sunday
India have been an impressive fielding unit under coach T Dilip, who recently extended his contract with the side following Gautam Gambhir's appointment. They had a rare off day in the series opener, though.
Ravi Bishnoi dropped two catches, the second of which left him with a painful cut on his face. India also let two overthrows run away to the boundary, giving Sri Lanka plenty of bonus runs.
It might sound simple, but India need to field better in the second T20I. They have plenty of quick youngsters in their side and can't afford to dish out displays like the one they turned in on Saturday.
#1 India need to bowl fewer spin overs in the powerplay
In T20s in 2024, Pathum Nissanka has been striking at 171 against spin and averaging more than 100. In contrast, he has been averaging 22 and striking at 148 against pace. Meanwhile, his opening partner Kusal Mendis has been averaging 51 and striking at 155 against spin, but those numbers fall to 26 and 137 against pace.
In the first T20I, India bowled three overs of spin in the powerplay. Sri Lanka consequently got off to a rollicking start, one that kept them level with the asking rate for a good portion of the chase.
The visitors can't afford to make the same mistake once again and need to trust Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj in the powerplay even if they go for a few runs. Hardik Pandya can also be used for an over or two in the first six.
This would also help the Men in Blue reserve Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi for the middle overs, where Sri Lanka's middle order will be challenged.