Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: India tour of Sri Lanka, 2021 Venue: R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Date & Time: Jul 27, 08:00 PM LOCAL

Pressure will be on India in the final ODI with several key players in isolation. © SLC

That's all from us folks! We'll be back tomorrow with the final ODI. Tata!

There was a positive COVID-19 case in the Indian camp, several close contacts are now in isolation and there was a threat to the series. But here we are, gearing up for the second T20I between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo. Before we get going, here are some pre-match thoughts from Prakash Govindasreenivasan -

Sri Lanka have a statistical ignominy hanging over their heads. They have won just one of their last 14 completed T20Is since October 2019, and their best batting performance - a score in excess of 190 - came a year earlier, in the Nidahas Trophy defeat in Colombo. It's a team crying out loud for batting gains, particularly after the bowlers gave a good account of themselves in the opening T20I on Friday.

The initial fears that Sri Lanka will be outclassed even by the supposed second-string Indian side, were assuaged as early as the second ODI, and the home side has shown improvement since. Charith Asalanka's brief six-binge in the chase on Friday, despite the big square boundaries at the Premadasa stadium, must've made Shikhar Dhawan & Co. a bit queasy, but Sri Lanka were undone by the fact that his 26-ball 44 was a solo effort.

In familiar conditions, Dasun Shanaka's bowlers have already come through by tying down India to the par score for the first innings at the venue, but about 10-15 fewer than what they wanted. It is now time for the batsmen to show up and collectively pull in the right direction.

For India, a few mini-narratives have already started to unfold as they build towards finding World Cup solutions, if any, from this touring party.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar found his pace and rhythm again after struggling a bit through the ODIs, and finished with a four-fer, while Deepak Chahar overcame an underwhelming spell in the PowerPlay - by his standards - to derail Sri Lanka's chase with the big wicket of Asalanka. The two swing bowlers are perhaps jostling for a single spot for the World Cup.

Yuzvendra Chahal has meanwhile laid down the marker in the race to be India's premier leg spinner while Hardik Pandya's continued slump with the bat, and fitness, are likely to be kept an eye on.