3 mistakes India cannot afford to make in 3rd ODI of IND vs SL 2024 series | Streaming live on Sony LIV
India's three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka was supposed to be a cakewalk to mark Gautam Gambhir's coronation as head coach. But it has not panned out that way. A simple straightforward series has turned into a nightmare, which could further escalate into a series loss for the Men in Blue if they lose the third ODI as well.
Team India's batting display, which led to the first ODI being tied, was supposed to be an anomaly. However, when the same pattern repeated after just a day's gap, the anomaly has snowballed into concern. Indian batters' credentials playing quality spin on tacky surfaces - were already shaky - and have now been dug up.
The collapses after formidable starts have been the talking point of the series so far. Skipper Rohit Sharma had mentioned that he would not be dialling down on his intent, which is the lone positive the visitors have at present. But, as for the rest of the batters, they are in for a major talking.
On that note, let us take a look at three mistakes India cannot afford to make in the 3rd ODI of the IND vs SL 2024 series.
#1 Being pinned on the backfoot by spinners
Taking the 2023 Asia Cup final out of the equation, where India had to chase down only 51 runs, they have had a hard time in Sri Lanka in recent times. In a dead rubber clash against Bangladesh, Gill played a lone hand as India slumped to defeat. Prior to that, they were terrorized by Dunith Wellalage after a promising start, but managed to defend their score. The ongoing series has been quite well documented and dissected.
In almost all of these matches, India had a fine start. Accepting that the surface will get slower as the game goes on, they have made the most of the fielding restrictions. So, the problem is not at the top, but with what follows.
Once the top order gets out, it is up to the middle-order batters to steer the run chase. And that is where India have faltered. Losing wickets in a heap does not help their case, with their manner of dismissals being quite worrying as well.
So far, the Indian batters have not been able to read the variations, judge the length properly, and have been tentative and hesitant in general. All of these issues escalate when you are just pinned on the backfoot with no foot movement.
Virat Kohli's judgment of length has been an age-old issue, and as for the rest, they have just not been proactive with sweeps or other alternatives. It has also been quite easy for Sri Lankan bowlers to attain momentum, with wickets falling like nine pins, and the scoring rate dipping with dot balls galore.
Simply put, India have to stop being on the backfoot against spin, literally and figuratively.
#2 Arshdeep Singh has to be much more proficient with the new ball
Sri Lanka is hardly a dream destination for pacers (barring Mohammed Siraj), but it is not as if they do not have a role at all. There has not been too much movement with the new ball, but there is certainly enough to trouble the batters up front.
Siraj has been doing his part, but Arshdeep has not been able to match it from the other end. The left-arm pacer, who is looking to be more prominent in ODIs, has largely been erratic with his line and length. And this inconsistency squanders all the hard work Siraj has been doing with the other new ball.
Although it is hard to say from the outside, it just looks like he is trying too much at the cost of basics. Simply landing the ball in the area will be more than enough on most occasions, and that is what Arshdeep should try in the series finale.
#3 India can't let the Lankan tail wag again
Team India's bowling display at the back end of the innings has gone a bit under the radar amid the batters' horror show against spin.
The Men in Blue have relatively done well with the new ball, while the spinners have done an excellent job of choking down the runs in the middle overs. However, after a certain point, there is just a slight switch in momentum from which Sri Lanka completely walk away with the game.
Dunith Wellalage has been a straight-up menace for India with the bat, becoming the second batter after Rohit Sharma to amass at least 100 runs in the series. The depth of the Lankan batting unit has also unsettled India, with the lower order playing more than handy knocks to take the score well past 200 in both games.
India have given away 65 and 79 runs in the death overs in the first and second matches, respectively. While Hardik Pandya's peppering short deliveries and cutters in the middle overs and Jasprit Bumrah's mastery at the death are sorely missed, the current bowling unit should have the tools to repair this situation.
Watch the Sri Lanka vs India 3rd ODI - 7th August 2:30 pm on Sony LIV. Available in 4 languages (English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu), the platform will also have additional features such as batter, stump & bowler cameras that allow fans to pick specific camera angles to watch the game unfold.