Dublin, June 28 (CRICKETNMORE) - Fresh from a 76-run win in the opening match, India will look to ring in a few changes as they attempt to finish off their assignments in Ireland on a winning note during the second and final T20 International here on Friday.
India were runaway winners in Wednesday's opening T20I, scoring 208/5 in their 20 overs, with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan contributing 97 and 74 runs, respectively before wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared seven wickets between them to restrict Ireland to 132/9. It indicated that India's first-choice eleven was functioning properly after a break of three months, and tuning itself for the England tour. The big question is of bench strength and chances for the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik and Umesh Yadav.
Going into the second match, Kohli had hinted at making a few changes in the middle order to give everyone game-time so they could acclimatise to the conditions. India will have an advantage from the fact that the pitch for the second T20I is expected to play much in the same fashion as on Wednesday. Kohli's mantra of giving chances to those sitting on the bench could be extended to the bowling line-up as well, where both Umesh Yadav and Siddarth Kaul are raring to go and longing for game time. Leaving out all-rounder Hardik Pandya for three full-time pacers and two spinners still gives Kohli five bowling options, enabling him to leave out Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey and bring in both Rahul and Karthik.
