The Indian cricket team led by Rohit Sharma is on the verge of losing the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as the first match got tied and the second was won by Sri Lanka by 32 runs.
The 2nd ODI was played yesterday at R Premadasa stadium, Colombo and after winning the toss, the hosts chose to bat first. SL posted a total of 240/9 in 50 overs and this seemed an easy target for the star-studded Indian side but India got all out at the score of 208 runs in 42.2 overs.
The manner in which the Indian batting order collapsed in both the matches is a matter of concern for the team management especially because it is not a less-experienced side, the senior cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K L Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are a part of this team.
During a press conference, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar accepted that this defeat was a shocker for them, he said, “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.”
He further added, “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 final ODI will be played on 7 Aug and India will need to win it in order to tie the series.
