Sri Lanka secured a 32-run win against India in the second ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium, gaining a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series.
In a disappointing turn of events, the Indian cricket team, captained by Rohit Sharma, faced their first loss of the Sri Lanka series on Sunday. The hosts secured a comfortable 32-run victory at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. After the match, Rohit Sharma didn’t hold back in his critique, acknowledging that his team failed to play up to standard during the encounter.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, setting India a target of 241 runs. The Men in Blue got off to a promising start, but their chase unraveled significantly, largely due to an outstanding bowling display by Sri Lankan leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay. Vandersay’s career-best figures of 6/33 played a pivotal role in dismantling India’s batting lineup.
Rohit Sharma’s brisk 64 off 44 balls initially put India in a strong position. However, his dismissal, attempting a reverse sweep that was brilliantly caught by Pathum Nissanka off Vandersay’s bowling, signaled the beginning of India’s downfall. When asked about his shot selection during the post-match presentation, the 37-year-old defended his aggressive approach.
Speaking to the presenters after the match, Rohit said, “We didn’t play good cricket, that’s why we lost the game. We do understand the nature of this surface and the nature of how the game is going to go as well. It gets really, really tough in the middle overs. So you have to try and capitalize in the powerplay and get as many runs as possible. That’s what both openers were trying to do. But we were just not good enough today.”
“The reason I got 65 runs is because of the way I batted. When I bat like that, there is bound to be risk taking, and I’m not afraid to do that. Whenever you get out, whether you score 100, 50 or zero, you feel disappointed if you don’t get across the line. But that won’t change my intent,” the Indian skipper further added.
In challenging spin-friendly conditions in Colombo on Sunday, India faced a target of 241 runs. Despite valiant efforts from captain Rohit Sharma and middle-order batsman Axar, the rest of the Indian lineup struggled. As a result, the team fell short, losing the match by 32 runs.
