Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik shares his take on Sri Lanka ODI series failure and Virat Kohli’s performance in the series. Team India faced a challenging ODI series against Sri Lanka, losing 0-2 and marking their first series defeat to Sri Lanka in bilateral ODIs since 1997.
Throughout the series, Indian batters struggled against spin bowling on difficult Colombo surfaces. Despite their efforts, the Indian team faltered in their run chases in all three matches, with even the seasoned Virat Kohli failing to make a significant impact.
“Not going to defend Virat..” Dinesh Karthik on ODI series loss
Karthik noted that the pitch was challenging for all the batters in the lineup. The wicketkeeper, who previously played alongside Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, mentioned that the surface in Colombo proved particularly tricky during the middle overs.
“In this series… let’s admit. Be it Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or anyone else. With a slightly semi-new ball, between overs 8-30, it’s hard work. Nothing to worry about. Not too many pitches work that way, but it’s been a tough pitch to play spinners. I’m not going to defend Virat Kohli here, but playing spin here is very hard,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Maheesh Theekshana on India’s batters
Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana observed that the pitch conditions favored the host team. He also noted that Indian batters are generally more at ease playing on shorter boundaries and “good wickets” found in their home country.
“They (India) usually play on good wickets and small boundaries in India,” Theekshana had said after the series win.“We knew playing in Premadasa, if there’s little bit turn, we can take advantage because we have good spinners,” he added.
Kohli’s scores of 24, 14, and 20 rekindled concerns about his vulnerability to spin. The Indian batter appeared subdued in the middle overs, especially following Rohit’s aggressive starts. Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik attributed the team’s struggles to the considerable amount of turn the pitch provided.
The ODI series against Sri Lanka had marked the return of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the format after the World Cup.
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