It’s been a challenging week in Colombo for the Indian cricket team, and they are yet to register a win in their ongoing series against Sri Lanka. Heading into the final game of this tour, Gautam Gambhir’s men face the unappealing prospect of losing their first bilateral series against their Asian neighbours in 27 years. This turn of events is far from the ideal start in the 50-over format for India, with their primary struggle being their inability to counter the Sri Lankan spinners during the middle overs.
The story of both matches has a recurring theme: India garnering excellent starts but faltering against spin. With Rohit Sharma providing the team blazing starts while chasing, the Indian side placed themselves in seemingly winning positions. However, the Sri Lankan spinners unleashed their expertise, resulting in massive batting collapses for India. The first game ended in a thrilling tie, but the second saw Sri Lanka securing a 32-run victory.
Despite these setbacks, Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar defended the team’s performances, framing the losses as opportunities to prepare for more significant challenges looming on the horizon. “Honestly, we are quality players of spin,” Sundar remarked. “We’ve always played on these kinds of wickets even at home, even in Tests and in domestic cricket as well. We know a lot of our players have done well in the middle-order especially while batting against spin. It is just a matter of finding a way in their own individual ways to try and get the job done.”
Sundar didn’t just stop at defending the team; he emphasized their potential by pointing to the overarching definition of Indian cricket’s resilience over the years. “Everyone knows it is a challenging wicket, and the Indian team always puts its hands up when the challenge arises. That’s when we have been very good with both bat and ball and have come out in flying colours out of challenging situations. That is the definition of the Indian cricket team over the last many years.”
Sundar’s assurance extends to the anticipation of the final game, where he believes the team will demonstrate their ability to overcome adversity. “I think it has been the same scenario in this series as well, and it is just about finding a way individually and getting the job done. I think it is a great opportunity to do that tomorrow.”
In the two games played, India’s batting collapses are of particular concern.
. In the first ODI, they slipped from 75 for no loss to 132 for 5. In the second, they plummeted from 97 for no loss to 147 for 6. Nevertheless, Washington denied any significant advantage for teams bowling second on the R Premadasa Stadium pitch. “I feel it (the pitch) is similar in both innings. In the evening, maybe the zip is a bit more and slides in at a quicker speed, but I feel it is the same.”
The Indian team’s reluctance to use their feet against the Sri Lankan spinners in the second ODI was a glaring issue. This strategy starkly contrasts with the approach of their head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who was renowned for his proficiency against spinners during his playing days.
“He (Gambhir) was a high-quality player of spin. We’ve always seen him put up brave performances, especially on such pitches against quality spin bowling. So obviously there has been a lot of input from him. That’s one of the reasons we came here today to practice and try to find a way and try to do those small little changes.”
As the clock ticks down to the final game, Sundar emphasized the importance of seizing critical moments. “We’re the best team; we just need to put our hands up in those critical situations in the games. Tomorrow, it’s an opportunity for us to do exactly that and win the game. Obviously, with big tournaments coming up, we will be in such situations. It’s really important to find ways to see what we can do to win those critical situations in similar conditions against quality spin attacks.”
The Indian team has always thrived under pressure, turning challenging situations into narratives of triumph. With a proud history of resilience, India’s test in this final game extends beyond just winning. It is about demonstrating their ability to adapt and counter quality spin attacks efficiently, thereby setting the tone for the forthcoming bigger tournaments.