IND vs SL 2021: 3 issues with the Indian team that were exposed in the 2nd ODI
India may be 2-0 up in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, but they've had to work hard for their wins against an unfancied home side that is without many first-choice stars.
Especially in the second ODI, India were pushed to the limit and had to dig deep to pull off a brilliant comeback win. The contest could've very easily ended in Sri Lanka's favor had a couple of streaky boundaries and fielding mishaps not transpired.
In the lead-up to the T20 World Cup and other high-profile international series, the Men in Blue need to address the issues that have been exposed in Sri Lanka. Here are three of them.
#3 Is spin the method to counter Prithvi Shaw in the powerplay?
As Prithvi Shaw continues to play matches in international cricket, teams will obviously formulate strategies to negate the immense threat he poses in the opening powerplay. Sri Lanka took the first step in this regard, choosing to bowl spin to the dashing opener early on.
Shaw looked uneasy against Wanindu Hasaranga before finally losing his off-stump to the leg-spinner. This isn't a new strategy by any means, with several aggressive openers like Jason Roy, Aaron Finch and Martin Guptill having been confronted with spin in the powerplay.
How Shaw counters the threat of Hasaranga and the other Sri Lanka spinners will be an important aspect to watch out for in the third ODI. He isn't a player who loves using his feet, so he may have to use the depth of the crease while waiting for the inevitable bad balls to arrive.
#2 The absence of an anchor in the middle order
Starting from the top with Prithvi Shaw and continuing into the middle order, India have opted to adopt an aggressive approach to batting that is synonymous with the new blood currently in the side. International teams like England and West Indies have followed a similar strategy, but the absence of an anchor has derailed these plans altogether.
For example, West Indies didn't have anyone to rotate strike and bat through the innings in their recent series against South Africa, albeit in a different format. England are struggling to cope with the poor form of Dawid Malan, who usually plays the role for them.
Similarly, India's current playing XI against Sri Lanka doesn't have a player of that ilk. Manish Pandey is the closest thing to an anchor, but he is under a lot of pressure for his place in the side and appears keen on playing statement knocks. Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are all naturally attacking batsmen who can't be forced into a more sedate role.
The second ODI illustrated this as wickets fell from both ends in the middle overs. Even if there's no player with a fixed anchor role, one of the batsmen must take responsibility and keep things ticking at one end in each game.
#1 India's new-ball woes aren't nearing an end
Since January 2020, India have picked up only seven wickets in the powerplay across 14 ODIs and have conceded over 50 runs in every single game. In fact, India have the worst bowling average against openers - 81, a number that's higher than Zimbabwe, Scotland, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar are primarily swing bowlers whose job is to pick up wickets in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar might have a bigger role right now since he's the leader of the pace attack, but when playing in a full-strength Indian side, he'll be judged on how many early breakthroughs he provides.
Even when senior bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been part of the side, India have let opposition openers immediately take the upper hand in the innings. India's new-ball woes must be addressed at the earliest. Introducing spin early or fielding new players like Navdeep Saini and Chetan Sakariya could be potential solutions.
If Sri Lanka's openers are back in the hut early, the middle order can be put through a real test - something that hasn't happened this series. India have been decent in recording two wins, but they will be absolutely unstoppable if they make a few inroads in the powerplay.