(PTI Photo)
India’s loss to Sri Lanka in the second ODI was certainly surprising, with challenging conditions playing a crucial part in the result. Abhishek Nayar, India’s assistant coach, observed that victories for Sri Lanka against India have been infrequent in recent times.
India’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, pointed out that Sri Lanka’s victories over India have been uncommon recently, but emphasized that the difficult conditions were a major factor in the result.
India was defeated by 32 runs by Sri Lanka in the second ODI of their three-match series, which took place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.
During the post-match press conference, Abhishek Nayar praised Sri Lankan spinner Jeffrey Vandarsay for his outstanding performance, noting his precise bowling lengths, as well as the determined batting displayed by Sri Lanka’s lower order.
“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,” Nayar said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Nayar acknowledged that the loss was unexpected and stressed the importance of analyzing and addressing the recurring issues. He noted that while they were able to build partnerships in the first game, the second match saw them struggle with losing wickets in rapid succession.
“Was it a shock? I would say yes, there is a surprise. 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. 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,” the assistant coach added.
He underscored his view that a player’s position is only significant in the context of different phases of the game. Nayar also explained that the team’s loss was attributed to losing wickets during the middle phase when the middle-order batters were at the crease.
“My belief is that in any sport, position only matters if you’re playing in different areas of a game. We lost wickets in the middle phase, and that’s where the middle order batters batted. It’s not as if middle order batters batted towards the end,” the former batter added.
Nayar is confident that the strategy and thought process were solid, despite the unfavorable outcome. He recognized that decisions are frequently scrutinized when they don’t yield the desired results but upheld that having middle-order batters play during their designated phase was the right approach.
“The thought process was right. When it doesn’t work out, these questions are asked often. But I’ve always believed that if a middle order batter bats as a middle order batter, it is the right decision,” Nayar concluded.
