India vs Sri Lanka 2017: India's probable playing XI for the 2nd ODI

Even the staunchest of Sri Lankan followers wouldn't have imagined the Indian batting to struggle as embarrassingly as they did in the first ODI. Was it not for MS Dhoni's obstinate knock, the side would not have even reached the three-figure mark.

Under a new captain, the Indian side will try to shrug off the hugely disappointing loss at Dharamsala soon, as they head to Mohali for the second game.

Here's how India's line-up could look like for the second game:

Rohit Sharma got off to his India captaincy debut in the worst possible way, watching his side tottering at 16-5. India's 24th ODI captain himself couldn't get going, struggling for a scratchy 13-ball 2, before being a red-hot Suranga Lakmal's first victim.

There will be added pressure on him to step up his game in the second ODI, the load mounting on the top-order with the fragile middle-order not holding up well.

Shikhar Dhawan had been on one of his career crests after making his comeback with the Champions Trophy and flattened the Sri Lankan lineup on their own home soil earlier this year. However, he blew hot and cold during the ODI series against New Zealand, as well as the Sri Lanka Test series that followed, something that has been a characteristic of his career.

In the first ODI, he succumbed to six-ball duck, which was the starting point for India's humiliating collapse over the next 16 overs. He might have to be cautious in the initial overs if he intends to shrug off this minor blip.

The absence of Virat Kohli hurt the Indian team pretty badly in the first ODI, signaling how he is absolutely indispensable to the side and helps maintain its balance. To fill the void, Ajinkya Rahane could be brought in at No.3, to provide some much-needed stability to the upper middle-order.

With Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan settled at the top of the order, Rahane will have trouble replacing either of the two, but a chance in the middle-order could give the 29-year-old a new lease of life in his ODI career, which has been start-stop until now.

For a very long time, Dinesh Karthik has been trying to make a case for himself as the solution to India's long-standing problem of finding the ideal No.4. Having played for Tamil Nadu and in the IPL at No.4, Karthik has been confident that he will be able to seal the spot in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup.

However, he failed to impress in the first ODI: with the side struggling at 2-2, Karthik had the ideal time to pitch in with a valuable contribution, but departed four overs later, after a horrid 18-ball duck.

23-year-old Shreyas Iyer was drafted into the ODI side, pipping other experienced options to get a slot in the middle-order. Having played three T20Is, Iyer got to make his ODI debut in the Dharamsala game, but 27 balls and nine runs later, he was India's fifth person to head back to the pavilion.

He has been in a rich vein of form in domestic cricket and will be itching to put his debut behind and carry forward.

The man who had made a legacy out of being the ideal crisis-man, MS Dhoni shut his critics with a lone battle that was the only bright spot in a horrid batting display. Absorbing all the pressure that had accumulated with the side reeling at 29-7, Dhoni managed to take India to three figures with a stubborn counter-acting knock.

While the search for his replacement as a finisher is still on, Dhoni continues to stay relevant in the fifty-overs format and remains India's best bet in a struggling middle-order.

Inconsistent performances from Hardik Pandya would have made the team's followers tug their hair in frustration: the all-rounder has looked increasingly vulnerable when batting under pressure, especially against the moving ball.

He has shown tremendous promise in the past, and can be India's long-term option for the all-rounder's slot, lest he irons out his flaws.

Back into the Indian team after taking a short break to get married, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave the team its second breakthrough, providing a semblance of a chance in a short chase by dismissing Lahiru Thirimanne in the sixth over.

The new and improved pacer is fitter and possesses more pace and control in his arsenal. He played just the first Test in the three-match series that recently ended, but still finished with the best figures for the side.

He has seamlessly made his transition into the Indian team, but Kuldeep Yadav still has to prove himself for an extended period of time to cement his place in the side. His unique and rare bowling style has edged out Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, but the 22-year-old needs to turn more of his promise into performance, as he did in his hattrick against Australia in October.

He did not get a chance to bowl in the first game.

Along with Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal has managed to form the bulk of India's spinning resources in limited-overs recently. A clever bowler who plays to his strengths, Chahal doesn't think twice before tossing the ball and enticing the batsman into a false stroke.

In the first ODI, his only contribution to the game came with the bat, where he tried to lend MS Dhoni a helping hand for the last wicket with a nine-ball unbeaten stay at the crease, but the Indian fans will be hoping that they don't see a batting collapse as bad, or the image of Chahal with a bat in hand, soon.

One of India's most improved players over the last year and a half, Jasprit Bumrah has impressed one and all with his exceptional control over the white ball and the ability to slip in yorkers at will.

He was recently rewarded with a ticket for the Test series in South Africa, and Bumrah would be all the more inspired to put his best performances on display before the side embarks for the grueling tour of the rainbow nation.