Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh in the second of the three-match One Day International series in Dambulla on Tuesday.
The hosts are in a spot of bother and are in risk of losing their first ever ODI series against Bangladesh after losing the opening match by 90 runs at the same venue in Saturday. Sri Lanka would also want to end their six-match losing streak and give themselves a boost ahead of the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka have been suffering without their skipper Angelo Mathews and strike bowler Lasith Malinga and the absence of the two was evident in the first ODI. Upul Tharanga won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat first on Saturday only to see Tamil Iqbal leading the show with a ton and ably backed by half-centuries from Sabbir Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan.
The visitors were never comfortable in chase of 325, especially after losing early wickets as Mustafizur Rahman-led bowling attack decimated the hosts.
Sri Lanka though are likely to include Nuwan Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep to boost their pace and reportedly there is some grass left on the tack for the fast bowlers. However, they would want their top order, especially captain Tharanga, to step up with the bat and ease the pressure on the middle order. A lot will depend on in-form Dinesh Chandimal and Thisara Perera as well to give them the boost in the end overs.
Mashrafe Mortaza's men would want to win today and clinch a historic ODI series win days after their landmark Test win in Colombo. The pressure is on Sri Lanka and they cannot afford another defeat as it would deflate the team and its fans as well.
Team News
Sri Lanka
Possible XI: Tharanga (c), Dickwella, Mendis, Chandimal (wk), De Silva, Gunaratne, Perera, Prasanna, Pradeep, Kulasekara, Sandakan
Bangladesh
Possible XI: Mortaza (c), Tamim, Sarkar, Sabbir, Mahmudullah, Shakib, Mosaddek, Mushfiqur (wk), Mehedi, Taskin, Mustafizur
TV Schedule
Bangladesh: BTV
Sri Lanka: Ten 3
Pakistan: PTV Sports
Middle East: OSN Channel 613
India: Ten 3
US: Willow TV
