India find themselves needing a victory in the series finale against Sri Lanka on Wednesday to avoid a disappointing series loss. Trailing 1-0 after losing the previous match, the men in blue will be well aware that they need to make some changes to dust off old habits if they want to level the series.
Captain Rohit Sharma has led the aggressive intent at the top of the order which has allowed India to get off to quick starts. However, scores of 58 and 64 from Rohit have been the lone success story as the middle order has struggled to build on these platforms. No Indian batsmen outside of Rohit has managed a score higher than 38 in the two matches so far.
The conditions have heavily favored the Sri Lankan spinners who have dominated proceedings on the slow turning pitches. While India's own spinners have been economical, it is the home team who have been better at targeting the Indian quicks in the death overs. Sri Lanka have scored significantly more runs in the final powerplays, making the difference.
Something will need to change for the Indian batsmen who have found themselves making mistakes against the spins. They have been guilty of playing the wrong lines and lacking decisiveness. A return to a more patient approach that was the hallmark of Indian batting in the past could be needed. Rather than playing their natural aggressive games, spending time at the crease and rotating the strike may serve them better on these challenging surfaces.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir, a renowned player of spin in his playing days, will be emphasizing the need to use their feet more and battle in the middle of the pitch rather than being passive at the crease. If similar conditions are to be expected in places like UAE or Sri Lanka for future Champions Trophy matches, India must find a way to adapt.
Can India level the series and avoid a disappointing ODI series defeat? Or will Sri Lanka complete a famous victory? One thing is for certain – the men in blue will need to dust off their old habit of patience and application if they want to succeed on Wednesday.
