India’s Batsmen Must Step Up in 3rd ODI against Sri Lanka to Prevent Series Loss for First Time in Nearly Three Decades
The responsibility will fall on Indian batsmen, especially the influential Virat Kohli, to emulate the strategy set by captain Rohit Sharma and skillfully face the spin challenge in the third and final ODI in Colombo on Wednesday to prevent their first series loss to Sri Lanka in 27 years. This is not the ideal beginning that Gautam Gambhir, a perfectionist for triumphs, would desire for his initial ODI task as the team’s head coach. India’s last bilateral ODI series defeat against the Islanders occurred in 1997. The Arjuna Ranatunga-led Lankans then inflicted a 0-3 defeat on Sachin Tendulkar and his squad.
Since then, India and Sri Lanka have engaged in 11 bilateral ODI series both at home and away, with the ‘Men in Blue’ emerging victorious in all of them.
India will not be able to claim victory in the current three-match series after falling to the hosts by 32 runs in the second ODI, and settling for a draw in the first match. The batsmen are to blame for this uncomfortable position, as they seemed to struggle with decision-making on a pitch that provided ample turn for the spinners. Notably, star batsman Kohli demonstrated this fragility more than anyone else. He has scored 38 runs in two matches, but his dismissals were more worrisome than the runs themselves.
Kohli appeared subdued on the field, especially after the strong starts provided by Rohit. He needed to capitalize on those starts, but failed to do so against the leg-spin of Wanindu Hasaranga and Jeffrey Vandersay. The Kohli we saw in these matches was a far cry from the dominant batsman who had scored four centuries at the same venue in the past. A fluent Kohli is essential for India’s success in the middle overs, whether they are chasing a target or setting one.
However, his struggles reflect the overall challenges faced by the Indian batting unit. In Shivam Dube, India has a designated spinner destroyer, but he faltered against Vandersay in the second ODI. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who have excelled against spinners before, seemed lost against the Sri Lankan slow bowlers this time.
They need to remember how to rotate strike effectively, a key strategy against spinners on tracks like the one at the Premadasa. Watching Rohit’s batting could provide them with a solution, not just in his technique but also in the confidence and planning behind his innings.
The team management might consider replacing Dube with Riyan Parag, whose spin bowling could be more effective in these conditions. Parag is also a capable hard-hitter. The Indian bowlers, on the other hand, need to step up their game in the final stages of the innings, as they failed to finish off Sri Lanka after reducing them to 142 for six and 136 for six.