West Indies vs Sri Lanka – 2nd One-Day International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs Sri Lanka taking place? Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 – 13:30 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs Sri Lanka taking place? Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs Sri Lanka? 26c with sunshine and cloudy intervals forecast
What channel is West Indies vs Sri Lanka on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1
Where can I stream West Indies vs Sri Lanka? The match can be streamed live the BT Sport app and website
LAST MEETING
West Indies beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies got off to a winning start as they did in the T20 series as they eased to a comfortable victory in the first ODI but they fought back well after the tourists made a strong start with the bat.
- While their bowling was reasonable enough, it was the batting that looked very strong with Shai Hope continuing his excellent form against Sri Lanka and in this format of the game with another century as he relishes playing against spin.
- Following such a comprehensive win, there is a good chance that they name an unchanged line-up for this game which means Kevin Sinclair and Kyle Mayers will have to sit this one out yet again.
SRI LANKA
- Sri Lanka were hugely frustrated in the opening match as they were cruising along at 105/0 in the 20th over before a mini collapse cost them dearly as some poor running between the wickets and a terrible umpiring decision which ruled Danushka Gunathilaka obstructed Kieron Pollard contributed heavily to their defeat.
- Despite three players making half centuries, very few other players contributed with the bat and that may encourage them to make a change or two with veteran Thisara Perera potentially coming into the side.
- Dasun Shanaka is still in quarantine so they will feel his absence yet again though Ramesh Mendis could be another to come into consideration in an all-rounder role potentially at the expense of Kamindu Mendis or Lakshan Sandakan.
THE PREDICTION
The West Indies what appeared a comfortable win in the opening ODI but Sri Lanka were in a good position when batting first until the drama around Gunathilaka’s dismissal seemed to shake them and spark a collapse. That will likely fire them up here and we should see a reaction but they will need to improve their performance and more of their players need to step up. Barring the trio of batsmen who hit fifties and Hasaranga and Chameera with the ball, too many players failed to make telling contributions. The Windies still had plenty in the tank in the first game but they have to keep the intensity they showed to fight back in the field to avoid letting the tourists back into this series. They are clearly the better team and possess far more firepower with the bat especially but they let Sri Lanka back into the T20 series and they could do so here. They are always capable of slipping up and it would be no surprise if they did here, but they get the nod overall on paper.
