(PTI Photo)
India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar comments on the team’s recent defeat and the batting collapses experienced in consecutive matches.
India’s 27-year streak is at risk as Sri Lanka puts them under intense pressure, having dismantled their batting order twice in consecutive matches. With India trailing 0-1, they face the prospect of an unusual bilateral series loss. Despite strong starts in both games, India faltered, tying the first match and losing the second by 32 runs. What’s concerning is that this Indian team is not a makeshift lineup but a full-strength squad featuring stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul.
Given the nature of the defeat, few expected Sri Lanka to come out on top, especially considering how India had dominated them in recent ODIs—bowling them out for just 50 in the Asia Cup final and 55 in the 2023 World Cup. Apart from Rohit Sharma and Axar Patel, India’s batting lineup has struggled, with experimental moves like promoting Shivam Dube to number 4 and moving Axar Patel ahead of Rahul proving detrimental. However, it is the batters’ failure to adapt and perform that is proving most damaging, especially with Sri Lanka missing key players like Matheesha Pathirana and Wanindu Hasaranga.
“Was it a shock? I would say yes, there is a surprise. But you anticipate and understand that in these conditions the game can turn on its head because there is so much spin on offer. Even if you look at the last game, it was relatively easy to score against the new ball. As the ball got older, the conditions when batting second got slightly tougher. Sometimes in tough conditions, especially in the 50-over format, this happens,” India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar commented during the post-match press conference.
“We want to go back and understand, and rectify, why it happened twice in a row. The day before yesterday, we were able to stitch partnerships. But today we lost quite a few wickets in a bundle.”
Where was India’s fight?
In the first ODI, it was the combined efforts of Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka that thwarted India’s plans, but on Sunday, it was Jeffrey Vandersay who made the difference. The leg-spinner delivered a remarkable 6/33 performance—ranking as the third-best ODI bowling figures by a Sri Lankan spinner against India. He dismissed the top four batsmen along with Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, helping bowl India out for 208 in their pursuit of 240.
India’s fight was notably absent compared to the first ODI, where they had managed to recover from 136/5 thanks to a crucial partnership between Rahul and Axar. Sunday’s performance, in contrast, felt more like a meek capitulation. However, Nayar remarked that when conditions are challenging, one should always be prepared for unexpected outcomes.
“They bowled well – I think Vandersay bowled the ideal length in these conditions. In such conditions, when the ball is turning – and the way Vandersay bowled today, used his finger, and bowled stump to stump – you get these phases when there is assistance from the pitch. I feel today we should give more credit to Sri Lanka,” he added.
