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

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.