2nd T20I: Sri Lanka aim to bounce back versus England
What's the story
The second T20I match of the series between Sri Lanka and England will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (February 1). Team England leads the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first match via the DLS method. It was a rain-curtailed affair, which was headlined by Sam Curran's stunning hat-trick. Here is the preview of the second match.
Venue details
Pitch report and weather conditions
The pitch at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is known for being a batting-friendly surface, with an average first innings score of around 175-180 runs. However, it also offers some assistance to spinners. As for the weather, Accuweather predicts moderate temperatures with possible cloud cover and light drizzle in the afternoon. Nighttime temperatures are expected to drop to around 18 degrees Celsius. The game will get underway at 7:00pm IST.
Match history
Here's the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, Sri Lanka and England have faced each other 15 times in T20Is, with the latter winning 11 matches and the former only four. The last five encounters between these two sides have all been won by England. On Lankan soil, England have two T20I wins and a solitary defeat against the home team.
Team lineup
Dress rehearsals for World Cup
It must be noted that this series is the final opportunity for both teams to finalize their line-ups ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Led by Harry Brook, England should use this Sri Lanka tour to acclimatize to Indian subcontinent conditions. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, who are also the co-hosts for the showpiece event, must identify their best combination sooner rather than later.
Team lineups
Here are the playing XIs
Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Eshan Malinga. England (Probable XI): Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
Performers
Here are the key performers
The first T20I saw Curran become only the second Englishman to claim a T20I hat-trick. Adil Rashid, who claimed 3/19 from his four overs in the first game, has raced to 148 wickets in T20Is at 23.57. Kusal Mendis scored a 20-ball 37 in the series opener, hammering 4 fours and 2 sixes. Philip Salt made his presence felt with a knock of 46 from 35 balls.