India faced a defeat in the crucial series-decider against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday. The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, suffered a massive 110-run loss due to the outstanding performance by the Sri Lankan spinners. The Lankan Lions emerged victorious in the ODI series with a 2-0 lead, securing wins in the last two matches and a tie in the first game.
Throughout the series, the Indian batting lineup struggled, with only Rohit Sharma, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar showing some form. The Men in Blue were unable to chase down the targets set by Sri Lanka in all three matches, faltering in the final two encounters.
Rohit Sharma expressed his frustration at the team’s performance during the Sri Lanka tour, acknowledging the superior batting skills of the opposition. According to Rohit, the Sri Lankan batters excelled in using sweep shots and paddle sweeps to score runs, while Indian batsmen relied more on footwork.
Insight from Rohit Sharma on Sri Lanka’s batting strategy
Rohit highlighted that the Sri Lankan batters adapted better to the conditions and focused on executing sweeps effectively, which proved to be the decisive factor in the series. In contrast, Indian batsmen failed to utilize sweep shots and struggled to score runs, leading to their downfall.
Rohit Sharma was the top scorer for India in the third ODI, contributing 35 runs off 20 deliveries. Despite his efforts, the Indian team collapsed while chasing a target of 249 runs, managing only 138 runs on the board.
Sri Lanka’s series victory marked their first bilateral series win against India in 27 years, under the guidance of interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya. The defeat also signaled Gautam Gambhir’s first series loss as India’s head coach.