Can Sri Lanka batsmen step up their game against unstoppable West Indies?
At this point, Sri Lanka's best hope is to bat ridiculously well and give their bowlers a chance
Kieron Pollars hit six sixes in an over in the first T20I • Philip Spooner/CWI
Big picture
How do you plan for West Indies? Their bowlers are varied and skillful - the first T20I at Coolidge featuring quicks like Dwayne Bravo, Jason Holder and Obed McCoy - who were adept at bowling a variety of slower balls that took advantage of a sluggish surface to flummox the Sri Lanka batsmen.Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka:: LLLLL
England: WLLWW
Battle to watch
West Indies' power hitters vs Sri Lanka's spinners. After the first match, Pollard suggested that his devastating six-hitting against Dananjaya was actually part of his team's plan. The reasoning is this: West Indies' batsmen can hit sixes like nobody else. And they particularly relish hitting sixes off spin bowling. On Wednesday, Dananjaya was the prime whipping boy, with eight of the 13 sixes for West Indies coming off his bowling. But Sri Lanka's slow bowlers are likely to want to come back at the hosts. In their ranks, they can at least count on Wanindu Hasaranga, who is a wicket-taking threat as well as a more steady batsman when they need him.Pitch and conditions
The pitch at Coolidge for the first match was on the tackier side, so perhaps this could become a theme of this T20I series. There is no rainfall forecast.Team news
Despite the defeat, Sri Lanka may opt for the same lineup.Stats and trivia
- Sri Lanka have not won a T20I since October 2019. They have lost eight T20Is on the trot since then.
- Kieron Pollard hit 36 off his 38 runs via sixes in the last match - a staggering 95% runs.
- In general, West Indies hit 13 sixes to their six fours on Wednesday.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf