Ind vs SL 2nd ODI - Yuvraj Ruled Out as Lanka Eye 1-1

Nagpur: All-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been again ruled out while opening batsman Virender Sehwag is fit as India take on Sri Lanka in the second One-Day International at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium on Friday.

Yuvraj, who missed the first ODI in Rajkot with a finger fracture, is yet to recover from his injury and is also down with flu while Sehwag has recovered from the ankle injury he suffered while fielding in the last match.

After the record run feast in Rajkot, where more than 800 runs were scored for the second time in ODIs, bowlers won't have a respite as the VCA Stadium also promises a run-friendly wicket.

Chief curator Praveen Hingnekar, however, promised that it won't be a repeat of Rajkot, but said that a score of 300 runs or more can be achieved. Since it is a day-night match, toss will be a crucial factor.

"I expect scores of over 300 for sure. But the fast bowlers will definitely get some help early on with the new ball, and fielding first may not be a bad option," he said.

In such a scenario, the spotlight will be again on Sehwag, who struck a whirlwind 146 in Rajkot, as India will be looking to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. There won't be many changes in the side that won in Rajkot, but medium pacer Sudip Tyagi may make his debut in place of Praveen Kumar.

On a perfect batting track, Sri Lankans are in a spot of bother. Their two most experienced bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando have been ruled out with injuries. They have brought in two off-spinners, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Suraj Randiv in the squad in Muralitharan's absence.

After missing out the first match due to an injury, fast bowler Lasith Malinga is likely to make a comeback to bolster the attack. Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis can also come in as a replacement for Muralitharan.

Team news

India: Yuvraj Singh is almost ruled out, he has the flu, in addition to his finger injury and missed practice on Thursday - but Sehwag has been cleared to play after picking up a knee injury in Nagpur.

Squad (likely): Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka: Apart from the injuries to Murali and Fernando, Sri Lanka also had to sweat on Lasith Malinga's fitness. He missed the first match and the management will be hopeful of his return to replace Fernando.

Squad (likely): Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga.

Pitch and conditions
This will be only the second one-day international played at this venue - the first was a run fest. India racked up 354 against Australia and then won by 99 runs. The pitch is expected to be conducive for run-making, as it was during the Twenty20 when Sri Lanka made 216 in 20 overs. Scattered showers are forecast by the weather bureau, with temperatures of 27C predicted.

Stats and trivia

• Virender Sehwag, during the course of his 102-ball 146, was most severe on Angelo Mathews, plundering 27 runs off 10 balls.
• Harbhajan Singh was India's best bowler in the face of an onslaught from Sri Lanka's top order. It showed in his figures against centurion Tillakaratne Dilshan: in 26 balls bowled to Dilshan, the batsman only managed 17 runs.

Match facts
Friday, December 18, 2009 (day/night)
Start time 14:30 local, 09:00 GMT, 02:30pm SLT