Gautam Gambhir and Team India in Shock After 2nd ODI Loss – Abhishek Nayar

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The second ODI on August 4, 2024, saw Sri Lanka beat India by 32 runs at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. This victory gives Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

India’s middle order struggled against Sri Lanka’s spin attack, which dismantled their lineup. The visitors were bowled out for 208 runs in 43 overs while trying to reach a target of 241 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. 

Following India’s unexpected defeat to Sri Lanka in the second ODI, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has called the loss an utter shock and surprise. 

 “Was it a shock? I would say yes, there is a surprise. But you anticipate and understand that in these conditions the game can turn on its head because there is so much spin on offer. Even if you look at the last game, it was relatively easy to score against the new ball,” Abhishek Nayar said in the post-match conference. 

He further added that Team India should examine what went wrong, considering their batting line-up collapsed twice in the ongoing series in Sri Lanka. The assistant coach believed that the lack of effective partnerships cost them the game. 

“As the ball got older, the conditions when batting second got slightly tougher. Sometimes in tough conditions, especially in the 50-over format, this happens. We want to go back and understand, and rectify, why it happened twice in a row. The day before yesterday, we were able to stitch partnerships. But today we lost quite a few wickets in a bundle,” Abhishek Nayar added. 

Nayar also lauded the Sri Lankan bowlers, who performed excellently, with Jeffrey Vandersay, who earned the Player of the Match award for his impressive figures of 6/33.

Following a tie in the first ODI and Sri Lanka’s win in the second, the third ODI is now a decisive match for India, who must win to draw level in the series and maintain their reputation.

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