On Wednesday India lost the three-match ODI series 2-0 against Sri Lanka. Chasing mediocre totals throughout the series the Indian batters struggled against the Sri Lankan tweakers on wickets which were conducive for the spinners. Thrice in three games after getting a good start in the Powerplay the team crumbled in the middle overs.
“They (India) usually play on good wickets and small boundaries in India,” Sri Lankan off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana took a dig at Indian batters after the series win. “We knew playing in Premadasa, if there’s little bit turn, we can take advantage because we have good spinners,” he added. If it was leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersey who rattled the Indian batting with six wickets in the second game it was left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalge in the third game who ran through the Indian team with a five-wicket haul.
“Rohit came into bat and he attacked me, Asitha got a good start, came back and got Shubman, and then Wellalage was brilliant, Vandersay did a great job … Hasaranga in the first game, Akila bowled economically in both the games. I wanted to bowl more dot balls. It was a team effort. All the players contributed, that’s why we ended up winning 2-0,” Theekshana added.
Unlike the first which was a tie and the second ODI which India lost by 32 runs, in the third ODI there wasn’t as much turn on offer, but that didn’t stop India from enduring another painful outing at the Premadasa as they lost by 110 runs. For the third time in a week, despite having all the wealth of experience and class in their ranks, India’s batting unit combusted at the first sight of pressure.
If anything, the procession was quicker than what unfolded in the first and second ODI. Even the quick-fire start that at least gave them some sort of hope in the first two matches, was absent without a trace.
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