India Faces Sri Lanka In 2nd ODI: Colombo's Pitch And Weather Analysis

Rohit Sharma's India will face Charith Asalanka's Sri Lanka in the second ODI of their 3-match series at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The match is set for Sunday, August 4, starting at 2:30 PM.

The first ODI on Friday ended dramatically in a tie. India lost their last two wickets needing just one run to win. They were all out for 238 in 47.5 overs. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 230/8 in their 50 overs.

The spin-friendly pitch at R Premadasa Stadium often sees teams opting to bat first. On Friday, Sri Lanka chose to bat and posted 230 runs for eight wickets. Indian bowlers shared the spoils with pacers and spinners taking four wickets each. However, Sri Lankan spinners dominated by claiming nine Indian wickets in the second innings.

"It doesn't look too bad (the pitch). It is pleasant out here. But you wear black or woolen clothens then you are sweating up a storm. This pitch was used for the LPL Qualifier but you can't really tell as the footmarks have disappeared. Very little grass covering. It may turn. And it could be a little tacky. I expect there to be some runs and batting to be easier under lights," Scott Styris said ahead of the toss in India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI at the venue on Friday.

Thunderstorms are expected in Colombo early on Sunday morning around 1:00 AM and again from 4:00 AM to 5:00 AM. AccuWeather predicts rain between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. However, no rain is forecasted after that time. The match starts at 2:30 PM with precipitation dropping below 40 after 5:00 PM. Humidity levels will range from 80 to 85 percent with temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius and wind speeds near 19 km/h.

Dunith Wellalage was named Man of the Match for his fifty and two wickets in the first ODI. Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga also contributed significantly by taking three wickets each for Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma top-scored for India with a quickfire 58 off just 47 balls.

How to watch IND vs SL 2nd ODI?

Fans can watch India vs Sri Lanka's second ODI live on SonyLiv app and website, while Sony Sports Network will broadcast it live on TV starting at 2:30 PM IST.

Which TV channel will show IND vs SL 2nd ODI?

The match will be available on Sony Sports Network channels - Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil or Telugu), and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD and HD.

The average score over the last five ODIs at R Premadasa Stadium is around 170 runs. In these matches, pacers have taken a total of 23 wickets while spinners have claimed an impressive tally of 50 wickets, indicating significant assistance for spin bowlers here.

The second-last ODI played at this venue was between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in January this year where Zimbabwe opted to bat first but were bowled out for just 96 runs by Sri Lankan spinners who took eight wickets including seven by Wanindu Hasaranga.

Teams winning the toss have chosen to bat first in Colombo ODIs about eighty-two percent of the time over the past five years due to favourable conditions for batting initially before spin bowlers come into play later in the game.