The Indian cricket team will face Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI in Colombo on Wednesday. In this match, the Indian batsmen, especially Virat Kohli, have been given the responsibility to follow the path shown by captain Rohit Sharma.
This match is very important for Indian cricket because for the first time in 27 years, the Indian team is in danger of losing an ODI series.
The start of this series has not been ideal for Gautam Gambhir. India had to play a draw with Sri Lanka in the first match and lost the second match by 32 runs. In such a situation, the team’s situation has become serious and winning this series has become imperative for Indian cricket.
Kohli’s challenge
This series is proving to be challenging for Virat Kohli, who has been the pillar of the Indian batting. He has scored a total of 38 runs in two matches so far, but his batting style and the way he got out has raised a lot of concern.
Kohli needs a solid performance in the middle order, especially when captain Rohit Sharma has got off to a fast start. This game of Kohli is an indication of his form, and he needs to prove himself. His current situation is disappointing for a leading batsman who has once scored four centuries on this ground.
Rohit Sharma’s performance
The Indian team has to take inspiration from Rohit Sharma’s batting in this difficult time. Rohit has adopted excellent strategy against the Sri Lankan bowlers, and his batting plan and confidence have made him a key player in this series.
Often his innings of 64 runs in 44 balls consists of risky shots, but his way of batting is such that it does not look risky.
Status of other batsmen
The performance of other batsmen in the Indian batting line-up has also not been satisfactory. Shivam Dubey, who is a left-handed batsman, could not face Vandersay’s leg spin in the second ODI and was dismissed early.
Batsmen like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have a good record against spinners in the past, but in this series their feet and wrists have proved ineffective against the Sri Lankan spinners.
These batsmen have lost the ability to rotate the strike, which is the most effective way to maintain control against spinners on pitches like Premadasa.
This is a crucial time for the Indian cricket team. Kohli, Rohit and other players have to re-evaluate their strategies and the team needs to perform strongly in the third ODI against Sri Lanka.
If the Indian team has to win this series, they have to overcome their weakness and make a strong effort.
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