SL look to bounce back in second T20I West Indies eye rare series win

Sri Lanka would look to bounce back in their attempt to level the series when they take on the West Indies in the second and final T20I at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy today.
After having lost the first T20I by 25 runs at the same venue on Wednesday, Sri Lanka would expect more from their top-order if they are to outscore the power-packed West Indies batting line-up. The form of Angelo Matthews remains to be a concern with the veteran all-rounder managing just 28 runs from his last four innings across formats.

The lack of a specialist seam-bowling option to assist Skipper Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana was clearly visible and the hosts might well be tempted to rope in Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando to fill that void.

Meanwhile, the West Indies’ would have the opportunity to clinch a bilateral series win; a feat that has eluded them for more than a year.

West Indies’ last T20I series win came in Bangladesh in December 2018. They’ve played five series since then and lost all of them, winning only four games out of the 15 completed games, including the one in the series opener on Wednesday.

They will take inspiration from the form of their senior opening batsman Lendl Simmons and the experienced Andre Russell, who struck a 14-ball 35 before claiming the decisive scalp of Kusal Perera on his international comeback.

On the bowling front, Sheldon Cottrell has carried his form from the ODIs, while Oshane Thomas gave evidence of his white-ball credentials with a five-for.

While they do have the reliable Dwayne Bravo to operate in the middle overs and at death, the lack of established options on the spin front, considering the conditions could be a worry.
The forecast in Pallekele isn’t all that great, with fairly high chances of rains. Teams batting first have generally benefited at the venue, having won 12 out of the 18 completed games played here.

(ICC)

The teams

Sri Lanka (from): Lasith Malinga (Captain), Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando.

West Indies (from): Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr and Kesrick Williams.