India pin hopes on spin duo, look to seal series with second straight win against Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: India’s limited-overs team, which won the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday comprehensively by seven wickets, will look to seal the three-game series in the second ODI on Tuesday.
While Shikhar Dhawan, who is leading the Indian team for the first time, was the star of the first match with an unbeaten 86 that took the team to victory, India had plenty of other positives from the match.
Prithvi Shaw, who is making a return to the Indian national side ater he was axed following the Australian Test tour, provided India with a quick start, making 43 off 24 deliveries which tilted the balance in India’s favour right from the start of the innings.
Apart from that, young wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, making his ODI debut, scored 59 runs from 42 balls and kept India on road for an easy win.
The impressive performances of Indian youngsters apart, India also managed to get the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal up and running.
The two have not played for a long time and doubts began to emerge on their effectiveness in the absence of former India captain and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni.
Both of them took two wickets each -- Yadav taking two for 48 and Chahal two for 52. Yadav was responsible for picking two quick wickets at a time when the Sri Lankans looked set to put up a big total, at 85 for 1 in 16 overs.
The fact that the pitch is dry has ensured plenty of help to spinners and it looks likely that the two will find help and assistance from the surface.
“I feel because it is too hot and it is humid as well, so the wicket is dry and it spins a lot. If there are two matches on a pitch then definitely it will turn more in the second match,” said Chinaman bowler Yadav.
“The way it is hot and humid, the spinners’ ball will turn,” added Yadav.
Skipper Dhawan credited the spinners for the win, “The way our spinners bowled from 10th over, they got us back straightaway.”
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are missing their top stars due to suspension and injuries. They will have their task cut out once again.
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who took two top-order wickets for 48 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday, has said that life in a bio-bubble without opportunities to play is tough and creates self-doubts.
The 26-year-old has played very litle cricket over the last 16 months -- just one Test, three ODIS and no T20 International in the last 16 months.
“It is difficult in bio-bubble. If you are not playing, you get doubts in your mind,” said Yadav ater the first ODI against Sri Lanka which India won by seven wickets.
“There are many people, who want to talk to you and help you but if you talk to too many people, you create doubt within yourself. This is a team sport. Some people get chances, some don’t. We should wait for our own chances,” he added during the virtual media interaction.
Both Yadav and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal were playing ater a long time. They took two wickets each on a pitch that helped the spinners a bit.
“I was varying my pace, because in the first innings, the pitch was slow, dry and there was some help. I was trying to vary pace. I was sometimes giving flight and sometimes increasing pace. I was not giving enough time to batsmen to allow them to setle. That was my plan. I was very happy that the team performed well. The way we bated. I was very happy with it,” added Yadav.
The Utar Pradesh bowler, who also plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, said he was happy to play with Yuzvendra Chahal again. The two have helped India win multiple series, including the first-ever ODI series win in South Africa in 2018.
“I was very happy that we played together ater a long time. Maybe, we are comfortable. That could be one of the reasons.”