It’s been a challenging week for the Indian cricket team in Colombo. They have yet to secure a victory in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and now face the daunting prospect of losing their first bilateral series to their Asian neighbors in 27 years. The rough start in the 50-over format has been marred primarily by the Indian batsmen’s failure to counter the Sri Lankan spinners during the middle overs of the matches.
In both One Day Internationals (ODIs), the Indian team, led by stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir, experienced promising starts. Rohit Sharma capitalized on the new ball, handing India a strong opening while chasing relatively modest targets. Despite such promising starts, the Sri Lankan spinners orchestrated dramatic collapses in both ODI innings. The first game ended in a tie, humorously reflecting a rollercoaster of emotions, while the second handed the hosts a 32-run victory, tilting the series in their favor.
Washington Sundar, the Indian all-rounder, weighed in on these disappointing results. Rather than being disheartened, Sundar framed the setbacks as valuable practice for more significant contests looming in the future.
“Honestly, we are quality players of spin,” Sundar insisted during a recent press interaction. “We have played on these kinds of wickets back home, in Tests and domestic cricket alike. Many of our middle-order batsmen have historically excelled against spin. It is just a matter of finding individual approaches to tackle the challenges effectively.”
Sundar highlighted the essence of the Indian cricket team’s resilience, noting that they have always risen to difficult occasions. “Everyone knows it is a challenging wicket, and the Indian team prides itself on stepping up when faced with such challenges. Historically, we have thrived in tough situations both with the bat and ball, emerging victorious. That is the hallmark of our team.”
The narrative of the series echoed Gambhir’s past exploits against spin bowling, with Sundar emphasizing the importance of learning from such experiences. “Gautam was an exceptional player of spin,” he said. “His brave performances on challenging pitches against top-quality spin attacks have always been commendable. His inputs are invaluable for us now.
. That’s part of why we are practicing today—to make those minor yet crucial adjustments.”
In the first ODI, India seemed poised for an easy win, having reached 75 for no loss. However, they collapsed to 132 for 5, squandering the advantage. The second match saw a similar pattern, with India slipping from 97 for no loss to 147 for 6. Concerning whether the pitch offered any undue advantage to the team bowling second, Sundar offered a balanced view. “The pitch remains largely the same in both innings. If anything, the ball might skid a bit more in the evening; nevertheless, it is fairly consistent.”
India’s reluctance to use their feet against the spinners in the second ODI drew attention, especially given that this was a tactic Gambhir had employed so effectively during his playing days. Sundar acknowledged this aspect, expressing that it was a key area they were looking into during their preparation sessions.
“He (Gambhir) was incredibly adept at manipulating spin,” Sundar noted. “We’ve seen him put on bravura performances under similar conditions. Therefore, his guidance is quite crucial as we prepare to find individual strategies to mitigate spin threats and make those subtle but vital changes.”
Spirits in the Indian camp remain cautiously optimistic despite the setbacks. Sundar believes that this current adversity is an opportunity for the team to shine. “We believe we are the best team,” he reinforced. “What we need now is for everyone to step up during those critical phases in games. Tomorrow presents such a chance for us to do just that and clinch a victory. With several big tournaments on the horizon, experiencing and overcoming these situations now is essential. We have to learn how to turn the tide in our favor against quality spin attacks in similar conditions.”
India heads into the final ODI with determination and a sense of purpose, banking on their ability to navigate through another spin-heavy challenge and end their tour on a high note. Whatever the outcome, this series has underscored the importance of adaptability and resilience, traits that the Indian team will need in abundance in the coming months.