Sri Lanka vs India Prediction: The first game was tied

Sri Lanka and India are going head to head in the Match 2 of the One Day Series at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka on 4th August 2024. The first match was tied as both teams scored 230 runs each. Who will win this game of cricket?

Sri Lanka's cricket team is riding high on the confidence gathered through successful performances against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe this year. While both departments—batting and bowling units—are putting in their best efforts, Pathum Nissanka emerged as the highest scorer in ODIs since the beginning of 2023. He has scored 1704 runs, including 5 centuries and 10 half-centuries. His 553 runs this year also make him the leading run-scorer with a strike rate of over 120. While Nissanka shines at the top, Avishka Fernando has been struggling with just 252 runs in 19 innings.

At three comes Kusal Mendis, who has 1257 runs and nine half-centuries since he was able to make his Test debut in 2023. The middle order - Samarwickrama, Asalanka, and Janith Liyanage - combined for over 1000 runs with two tons and 12 half-centuries. On their trip to India, the trio averages less than 15.

Dunith Welalage will be the one to lead the bowling attack with Wanindu Hasaranga and Akila Dananjaya. Welalage, adjudged man of the match in the first ODI, has picked up 7 wickets from the last 5 innings against India. Wanindu Hasaranga has been a leading wicket-taker since 2023 and now has 48 in 21 matches at an economy rate of 5.19. With a potentially playing spin-friendly track, Maheesh Theeksana may come into place of Mohamed Shiraz.

Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Mohamed Shiraz.

Skipper Rohit Sharma is in great form when it comes to T20s, and he whacked the Sri Lankan bowling attack with great ease by scoring 58 runs off 47 balls. Shubman Gill is opening with him, who averages more than 60 against the Lankans, with 361 runs in 7 innings. Though Virat Kohli started off very slow in the first game, his record against Sri Lanka stands phenomenal, reading 2618 runs in 52 innings, which includes 10 hundreds and 12 fifties. Wait and watch.

The middle order will be stabilised by Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar. While Rahul has scored 1091 runs at an average of 64.17 since 2021, Iyer has accumulated 869 runs in 20 innings at an average of 51.11 in the same period. Alongside Sundar, India will field two more all-rounders to add depth to the team. While neither Sundar nor Patel has huge wicket-taking records recently, both of them could prove to be a handful for the Sri Lankan batting lineup in the spin-friendly conditions.

This will be led by Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh for the pace attack. In fact, Siraj, through the last 7 ODIs, has been quite effective against Sri Lanka with 20 wickets at an average of 9.66. He is also India's second-highest wicket-taker since 2023, with 45 wickets in 25 innings at an economy rate of 5.25. One other key bowler will be Kuldeep Yadav, who leads India's bowling stats with 50 wickets at an economy rate of 4.55 since last year.

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.

Though Sri Lanka did make the comeback in the first ODI and earned the tie, India has had a dominating history of matches against them. India has won six of its last seven ODIs, including two such wins by margins of more than 300 runs. In one of them, India posted their highest total of 375 at the same venue, with both Sharma and Kohli hitting centuries. Rain might, however, have a say in the match. Thus, our prediction is that India will be the winners against Sri Lanka.