Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 2nd T20I Match Prediction 06 Mar 2020

West Indies came up with a ripper of a show in the first T20I and now hold a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series. The victory would have rejuvenated their spirits following the clean-sweep in the ODIs and with the form of some of their players in the shortest format, they are likely to go as the favorites for the must-win encounter. Lendl Simmons (67*), Andre Russell (35), Kieron Pollard (34) and Oshane Thomas (5/28) rendered match-winning exhibitions which helped their side defend a target of 197 runs in the previous encounter.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has lost the chance of winning the series. However, they can level the series by a margin of 1-1, provided they put up a match-winning show in the coming game at Pallekele. Both batting and bowling didn’t go in the hosts’ favor which was the cause of their defeat in the last encounter. It would be interesting to see how Malinga & Co bounce back against an in-form Pollard’s men.

Heavy showers are being anticipated prior to the commencement of the match and even during the first half. The match might get canceled if the outfield remains wet. Bowlers need to capitalize on the overcast conditions.

The wicket at Pallekele Stadium has generally been a batters paradise with 168 as the average first innings total. In fact, the first T20I gave a glimpse of how batter friendly conditions the pitch has to offer.

The toss winning team should look to bat first on this occasion. With the heavy showers first half and in the latter stages of the game, it is likely that match will be reduced by few overs for successful completion. Moreover, the teams batting first on this venue have won on 12 out of 21 occasions in the T20Is and a similar fate can be expected in the upcoming contest.