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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has made a significant comment about Indian batting icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following India’s lackluster performance in the third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The Indian batting lineup faltered against Sri Lankan spinners, getting dismissed for a mere 138 while chasing a target of 249 runs. This pattern of struggle was evident throughout the series, with Indian batters failing to cope with spin-friendly conditions in Colombo, resulting in similar issues in the first and second ODIs.
Despite boasting star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Indian batsmen were unable to handle the Sri Lankan spinners effectively. The spinners exploited the conditions to their advantage, turning the series decisively in Sri Lanka’s favor.
“Rohit Sharma has fitness issues” – Basit Ali
On his YouTube channel, Basit Ali discussed India’s surprising defeat and the performance of Rohit Sharma. He made a notable assertion that Rohit Sharma appeared to be rushing his innings due to ongoing fitness concerns. Basit Ali suggested that Rohit, given his good form, should have focused on playing a longer innings to stabilize the team’s performance.
“Rohit Sharma has fitness issues. Nobody will believe me. He wants to score quickly. I know what it takes to field for 50 overs in humid Sri Lankan conditions. Afterwards, problems arise when you come to bat. But when you are in good form, you should have batted longer. It’s because of the fall of his wicket, Indian batting has collapsed in all the three matches,” Basit Ali stated.
“He could not tackle the spinners” – Basit Ali on Virat Kohli
Basit Ali also addressed Virat Kohli’s lackluster performance, expressing disbelief at Kohli’s repeated dismissals to spin in all three matches. He remarked that it was an exceptionally disappointing display from India’s batting lineup.
“We talk about Virat Kohli. Even today, he scored 20 runs. But what’s the benefit of those runs? Nobody could have thought that Virat Kohli would get out to a spinner in all the three matches. He could not tackle the spinners. There is no Suryakumar Yadav to play the sweep shot. It was poor batting from India throughout the series,” Basit added.
Rohit Sharma finished as the top run-scorer
Rohit Sharma had an impressive series with the bat, amassing 157 runs across the three matches at an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 141.44. Despite the overall batting struggles, Sharma’s standout performances included two half-centuries in the first two games, making him the series’ leading run-scorer.
In contrast, Virat Kohli faced a challenging series, managing only 58 runs in three games at an average of 19. Kohli’s difficulties against spin bowling were evident, as Sri Lankan bowlers easily dismantled India’s middle order.
The series opener ended in a tie, but Sri Lanka secured victories in the second and final ODIs. With their win in the final match, Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, marking their first bilateral ODI series triumph over India in 27 years.
