3 lessons from India's defeat in the 2nd ODI vs Bangladesh
India lost the second ODI against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Wednesday, December 7. Despite fighting hard and long into their chase, the visitors eventually fell short by a mere five runs, surrendering the three-match series with a game to spare.
Skipper Rohit Sharma suffered a finger dislocation that kept him off the field for large swathes on Wednesday. He returned to put in a heroic effort with the bat, though, striking an unbeaten half-century batting at No. 9 and nearly vaulting his side past the finish line.
That said, the Men in Blue will rue the fact that they let a dominant position slip out of hand again with Mehidy Hasan Miraz dictating terms with the bat. They now head to Chattogram for the final game of the series with plenty to ponder over.
On that note, let us look into three lessons learned as a result of India's loss to Bangladesh in the second ODI.
#1 Fitness concerns loom large
🗣️ 🗣️ Head Coach Rahul Dravid takes us through the injury status of captain Rohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar & Kuldeep Sen
#TeamIndia | #BANvIND https://t.co/r6CEj5gHgv
Rohit's untimely injury aside, the fitness of a number of players in the Indian team has been a matter of grave concern for a while now. This is not only reflected in the frequent number of recent injuries, but also in their lackadaisical fielding efforts.
After the second ODI against Bangladesh, Rohit mentioned that players returning from injury must be fully fit and that half-fit players are something they can ill-afford. Deepak Chahar's injury-plagued 2022 is a reflection of the same, given that he has often missed more games than he has played, casting a question mark over the rehab program.
Come the 50-over World Cup on home soil next year, the team can ill-afford to carry players who are not 100 percent fit. This is an issue they must address at the earliest.
#2 India are letting winning positions slip out of their hands
Memorable knock and moment for Mehidy Hasan .. Two gritty ones in a row against India. But to let the game drift from 69-6 … ouch! Far from settled. These signs must not be taken lightly .. #BanvInd
Twice in two games, India have squandered the initiative to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. After having Bangladesh on the mat in the series opener, Mehidy stitched together a phenomenal last-wicket partnership with Mustafizur Rahman to get the job done.
In the second fixture, the visitors should have shut the door for good with Bangladesh reeling at 69/6. Instead, they let the hosts off the hook and allowed them to score 271, which proved to be a winning total in the end.
In crunch situations, converting an inch into a mile proves to be a huge difference. To that end, it is imperative that the Men in Blue look at killing the contest for good when they have matters in their own hands. With that not being the case in the opening two games against Bangladesh, it is a lesson they must reflect upon.
#3 Shreyas Iyer is close to undroppable in the ODI setup
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Shreyas Iyer is set to take the world by the storm 👊🏻🔥
#crickettwitter #india https://t.co/ZiR1NBFpBQ
There was a positive lesson learned too in the second ODI. With each passing innings, Shreyas Iyer continues to show his worth in the Indian ODI set-up and has deemed himself close to undroppable.
For the record, he remains India's highest run-getter in men's ODIs in 2022, having tallied 721 runs at an average of 60.08. Six half-centuries and a century in 14 innings this year is a reflection of his remarkable consistency and prowess in the format.
There is effectively a three-way shootout for two middle-order spots with Shreyas, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant vying for the same. Shreyas' outstanding returns and his rate of consistency are tipping the scales heavily in his favor.
The manner in which he continues to step up when the chips are down is rendering him a lock-in as far as India's first-choice ODI XI is concerned.
Where do you think it has gone wrong thus far for India in the series against Bangladesh? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: "He always keeps us positive and united" - Saurashtra's Chirag Jani on captain Jaydev Unadkat