2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka ft. Rohit Sharma's counter-attack
India suffered their first defeat in the Gautam Gambhir era as Sri Lanka toppled them by 32 runs in the second ODI on Sunday, August 4. A packed crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo watched on with glee as the hosts clinched a 1-0 series lead.
As a result of the defeat, the Men in Blue can no longer win the series. The opening game ended in a tie, and they need an excellent display on Wednesday to even pull level.
It was a disappointing game on many fronts for India, who were off the mark tactically in both departments. At the same time, though, there were a couple of players who defied the odds to give their side a significant advantage.
On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
#3 Mistake - India got their batting order completely wrong
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul batted at No. 6 and No. 7 respectively. That's how strange India's batting order was in the second ODI against Sri Lanka. The duo are two of the side's best bets during times of crisis and are more than capable of countering quality spin on turning tracks.
Shivam Dube was promoted to No. 4, and his defensive technique against spin was exposed. If he was going to be sent up the order, he needed to attack, which he didn't look to do.
Axar Patel played well, but by the time Shreyas and Rahul came to the crease, India were already behind the chase.
#2 Masterstroke - Once again, Rohit Sharma's powerplay aggression was stunning
For the second game running, Rohit Sharma's masterful powerplay counter-attack was a stroke of genius that gave India a considerable edge at the start of the chase. The Indian skipper hammered five fours and four sixes to take the Men in Blue to an imposing 76/0 at the end of the powerplay.
Rohit picked his areas beautifully against both pace and spin, managing to ensure that the middle order had a relatively simple task. His aggressive 64, which featured plenty of courageous lofted hits with the knowledge that batting was only going to get tougher in the next phase of the innings, was a delight to watch.
#1 Mistake - Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj didn't bowl the right deliveries
Mohammed Siraj dismissed Pathum Nissanka off the very first ball of the game, and it remained the only wicket taken by pace in the entire contest. While the conditions were the primary cause behind that, India's fast bowlers did themselves no favors by resorting to ineffective options.
Even though the pitch was holding, gripping and turning, Siraj and Arshdeep Singh bowled pace-on for most of their deliveries. Their lengths weren't great either as they were often too full or too short.
Sri Lanka scored 79 runs in the last 10 overs and the fact that the pacers didn't resort to cutters as their stock ball helped them immensely.