"If that is possible, why not go achieve that target?" - Aakash Chopra says India can score 400 in 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka

Aakash Chopra feels Team India should target a 400-run score if they get to bat first in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, January 12.

The Men in Blue posted a massive score of 373/7 on the back of Virat Kohli's century in the first game in Guwahati on Tuesday, January 10. Their bowlers then restricted Dasun Shanaka and Co. to 306/8 to register an emphatic 67-run win.

While previewing the second ODI in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra urged India to target a 400-run total, elaborating:

"India hit a lot in Barsapara. Earlier we used to say that you can change the style of playing, what style can you change now? To be fair, 400 runs could have been scored. 400 can be scored here as well. If that is possible, why not go achieve that target?"

Chopra expects the match to be another high-scoring affair, reasoning:

"It has become a sort of rule in ODIs that it seems to be very easy to score a lot of runs. It doesn't look like it will be a low-scoring match unless you are playing in Bangladesh, where the pitch is turning a lot."

India were bowled out for 186 in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December last year. They failed to chase a 272-run target in the second game at the same venue, where they allowed the hosts to post a competitive total after having reduced them to 69/6 at one stage.

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"There is no challenge at all" - Aakash Chopra on the batting-friendly surfaces in ODIs

The Eden Gardens has not hosted an ODI since September 2017.

Chopra highlighted that the bat generally dominates the ball after the first few overs of an ODI game, explaining:

"The batters have a field day if the conditions are not bowler friendly because there is no challenge at all. The new ball swings a little at the start but after that, only the bat swings. If you play out the first seven to ten overs, which India will also have to do, the sequence of hitting starts that doesn't take the name of stopping."

While expecting the team winning the toss to bowl first, Chopra feels Rohit Sharma and Co. will post another massive total if they get to set a target, stating:

"There will be similar expectations from this match. You want to bowl first after winning the toss, you generally don't want to bat first, because there are greater chances of dew later. I won't be surprised if you see another 350+ score if India get to bat first."

Teams batting first have won the last six ODIs at the Eden Gardens. India set a 253-run target for Australia in the last game at the venue in September 2017 and eventually won the match by a handsome margin of 50 runs.