Not many would have given Sri Lanka a chance against a near full-strength Indian side before the start of the one-day series. The home team came into the 50-over format following a 3-0 whitewash in the T20Is and was missing four front-line pace bowlers due to injuries and illness.
After somehow managing to tie the first game, the host lost key all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga ahead of the second game. However, despite the odds, Sri Lanka has secured a 1-0 lead with a 32-run victory on Sunday powered by leggie Jeffrey Vandersay’s brilliant six-wicket haul (six for 33).
The Lankans now have a chance to end a 27-year drought for a bilateral series win against the Men in Blue in ODIs when the two outfits meet in the third and final contest at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The conditions at the Khettarama Stadium have been skewed in favour of the spinners, and Sri Lanka has exploited them to silence a powerful Indian batting line-up.
What seemed like an aberration in the first game, when India lost nine wickets to the tweakers, has become a more significant concern after a similar number of batters fell to the slower bowlers in the second game.
Vandersay scythed through the batting line-up in the second game, taking the first six wickets to trigger a sensational collapse from which Rohit Sharma’s men couldn’t recover.
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Barring Rohit and Axar Patel, none of the other batters have looked comfortable against spin. The skipper used the sweep shots effectively, and the others could take a cue from the 37-year-old.
Though these pitches are anomalies in modern-day one-day cricket, India will look to address this weakness and nip it in the bud sooner rather than later. Another area the visitor will look to sharpen is closing out the innings. In both games, India let the opposition’s lower-order wag after having them six down for less than 150 before conceding totals above 200.
The visitor would have also hoped to use these matches to try out a few players in preparation for next year’s Champions Trophy. Now, with the series on the line, how much the management can experiment remains to be seen.
One option the think-tank could explore is to get Riyan Parag, who can bowl both off and leg-breaks apart from his big-hitting ability. Similarly, Harshit Rana could get a look in for one of the pacers if the team wants to prepare the next set of quicks.
On the eve of the first encounter, the Lions’ interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, requested the fans to show up in numbers and support his side despite the recent poor results.
The crowd responded by packing the venue and saw their team repay the faith. If Asalanka’s men can clinch the trophy on Wednesday, it could be a huge morale-booster for the nation as it looks to return to being a cricketing powerhouse.
The match starts at 14:30 IST.
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