Colombo: Gautam Gambhir won’t be pleased one bit with what he has seen in the first two ODIs that Team India have played under his coaching.
Having been forced to a tied result in the opening match two nights ago, after failing to score 1 run in 14 balls, India were even more miserable on Sunday night as they suffered a 32-run defeat in the second ODI.
The game followed a similar pattern as on Friday. Chasing 231, Rohit Sharma (58) and Shubman Gill gave India a 75-run opening stand before Lankan spinners put the brakes.
In Game 2 also, Rohit (64 off 44 balls) handed India a rollicking start with Gill (35). But from 97 without loss in the 14th over, India imploded against spin once again.
Veteran leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay (6/33), who rarely gets to play because of first XI regular Wanindu Hasaranga, ran through the strong batting order, with the help of some great catching.
Virat Kohli managed 14, Shreyas Iyer, while Shivam Dube and KL Rahul failed to open their accounts.
But for Axar Patel (44), none of the lower-order batters stuck around even though the asking rate was very much in control.
India will have their task cut out in the final ODI, on August 7.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 240/9 in 50 overs (Avishka Fernando 40, Kamindu Mendis 40, Dunith Wellalage 39; Washington Sundar 3/30, Kuldeep Yadav 2/33).
India 208 all out in 42.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 64, Axar Patel 44, Shubman Gill 35; Jeffrey Vandersay 6/33, Charith Asalanka 3/20)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 32 runs.
Man of the Match: Jeffrey Vandersay.
Series position: Sri Lanka lead 1-0.
Final ODI: Aug 7 (Colombo, 2.30 pm).
