2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 1st ODI vs Sri Lanka ft. Shivam Dube's strike rotation
India failed to win a game for the first time in the Gautam Gambhir era as Sri Lanka managed to hold them to a tie at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2. Charith Asalanka's two-wicket burst when the Men in Blue needed just one run to win ensured that the scores ended level in the first ODI.
It wasn't the best game for India from a tactical perspective. Despite being in control of the contest at various stages of both innings, Rohit Sharma and company couldn't convert that advantage into a win.
On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
#3 Mistake - Shivam Dube was happy to let Mohammed Siraj hog the strike
When Mohammed Siraj came to the crease, India needed 20 runs from a little more than five overs with two wickets in hand. Shivam Dube was well set at the other end and was expected to play the primary role in the partnership.
However, Dube let Siraj face 11 of the 19 balls they played together. While it was the former who got out first, their approach during their stay at the crease was rather puzzling.
Dube, as the team's designated player of spin, should have faced up to more deliveries and shielded Siraj from the strike. Instead, he was happy to take singles off the first and last balls of overs.
#2 Masterstroke - Rohit Sharma's powerplay blitz changed the game for India
Conditions were tough for batting in the middle overs. The Sri Lankan spinners hit the right lengths, restricting India from playing their shots while also cutting off singles inside the circle. Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, and Dunith Wellalage picked up nine wickets between them.
Given how the match transpired, Rohit Sharma's powerplay attack was invaluable. The Indian skipper made sure that the first 10 overs were capitalized upon with his wide array of shots against both pace and spin. He managed to get India off to a great start even though Shubman Gill wasn't at his fluent best at the other end.
#1 Mistake - Arshdeep Singh didn't show enough application
With one run left to get and one wicket in hand, Arshdeep Singh decided to slog one over the leg side. It was an inefficient shot against an off-spinner who had just dismissed a left-hander with one that came on with the arm. Not to mention the fact that even if Asalanka had got the ball to turn, it had a great chance of picking up the last wicket.
Siraj, who had faced 11 balls at the other end, was the better bet for India to score that final run. Even if Arshdeep wanted to do the job himself, he should have tried to get a single in the vacant pockets of space on both sides of the ground.