"Dasun Shanaka missed a trick" - Danish Kaneria highlights reason being Sri Lanka's loss in 2nd ODI vs India
Danish Kaneria believes that Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka erred tactically by not setting an attacking field when India were under pressure during the second ODI on Thursday, January 12.
Kaneria stated that Shanaka should have had more men in catching positions when KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya were at the crease during India's run chase. He reckoned that a wicket at that juncture would have put the Men in Blue on the back foot as they had already lost their big guns early.
"Dasun Shanaka missed a trick when KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya were building a partnership," Kaneria said in a video shared on his YouTube channel. "He should have kept an attacking field at that stage.
"He could have considered having a slip and a gully, as they have a chance of gaining the upper hand by dismissing one of those two batters early. Shanaka's approach was quite defensive. Yes, there was one slip, but he placed a lot of fielders in the deep."
Notably, Rahul and Hardik took the game away from Sri Lanka, stitching together a crucial 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket. While Pandya was dismissed for 36, Rahul remained unbeaten on 64, steering India to a four-wicket win at Eden Gardens.
"They have been losing, but they never fail to put up a strong fight" - Danish Kaneria on Sri Lanka's recent performances
Danish Kaneria further stated that Sri Lanka have promising players on their roaster. He highlighted how they have fought hard against the star-studded Indian side in the ongoing white-ball series.
He also pointed out that the visitors haven't let India win easily. The former leg spinner believes that Dasun Shanaka and Co. are bound to get better with time as they go through a rebuilding phase.
"Sri Lanka have a wonderful side and a wonderful captain," Kaneria added. "They have won the Asia Cup. The team is in a rebuilding phase. Yes, they have been losing, but they never fail to put up a strong fight. They have created problems for the opposition. They made this run-chase very difficult for the Indian team."
India win the series with a 4-wicket victory.
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The Dasun Shanaka-led side will be aiming to salvage some pride by claiming a consolation win in the third and final ODI of the series. The match will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15.