NEW DELHI: India’s recent ODI series loss to Sri Lanka has sparked analysis and introspection. Captain Rohit Sharma, known for his candid assessments, provided valuable insights into the team’s performance, highlighting key areas of concern.
Sharma acknowledged the team’s struggles against spin bowling, a recurring theme in their recent outings. “We need to think which players could play on these kind of tracks but you also need to give consistent chances as it’s not easy to perform in one or two chances.It was a bad series and we need to accept it,” Rohit remarked after the defeat.
While acknowledging the challenging nature of the pitches, Sharma stressed the importance of individual accountability and adaptability.
“We have to accept where all we made mistakes. We couldn’t show more intent and aggression against spinners, and they put pressure relentlessly on us. It’s about individual plans. We have had these issues in the past as well where the ball has spun a little bit. I can see the guys training hard in nets and they are trying to play different shots but we need to know how to keep momentum. We failed thrice. We should have won that first game which ended in a tie,” he noted.
The inability to maintain momentum and counter the spinners’ relentless pressure ultimately led to their downfall in all three matches.
The Indian captain hinted at potential personnel changes based on adaptability to specific conditions. While emphasizing the importance of providing consistent opportunities, Sharma indicated that players demonstrating the ability to thrive in challenging environments would be given preference.
“We know what the problems are. We will let players know this is what we want and if we have to be different in terms of choosing personnel, we will do that,” he added.
Sharma’s assessment was devoid of excuses, reflecting a pragmatic approach to addressing the team’s shortcomings, acknowledging, “I don’t think we were brave enough throughout the entire series and hence we lagged behind throughout. We will address these issues.”
Sharma acknowledged the team’s struggles against spin bowling, a recurring theme in their recent outings. “We need to think which players could play on these kind of tracks but you also need to give consistent chances as it’s not easy to perform in one or two chances.It was a bad series and we need to accept it,” Rohit remarked after the defeat.
While acknowledging the challenging nature of the pitches, Sharma stressed the importance of individual accountability and adaptability.
“We have to accept where all we made mistakes. We couldn’t show more intent and aggression against spinners, and they put pressure relentlessly on us. It’s about individual plans. We have had these issues in the past as well where the ball has spun a little bit. I can see the guys training hard in nets and they are trying to play different shots but we need to know how to keep momentum. We failed thrice. We should have won that first game which ended in a tie,” he noted.
The inability to maintain momentum and counter the spinners’ relentless pressure ultimately led to their downfall in all three matches.
The Indian captain hinted at potential personnel changes based on adaptability to specific conditions. While emphasizing the importance of providing consistent opportunities, Sharma indicated that players demonstrating the ability to thrive in challenging environments would be given preference.
“We know what the problems are. We will let players know this is what we want and if we have to be different in terms of choosing personnel, we will do that,” he added.
Sharma’s assessment was devoid of excuses, reflecting a pragmatic approach to addressing the team’s shortcomings, acknowledging, “I don’t think we were brave enough throughout the entire series and hence we lagged behind throughout. We will address these issues.”