‘In these conditions the game can turn on its head’ - Abhishek Nayar on India’s stunning collapse against Sri Lanka

After the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka resulted in a tie, both sides locked horns in the second game at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Sunday, August 4. While India would have hoped to register a win in the second and get off to a good start, their plans were soon spoilt by Sri Lanka, who managed to trump the visitors.

India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar gave his takeaways from the second ODI, pointing out that Jeffrey Vandersay and the hosts’ lower order made the difference. He also talked about the nature of the pitch and how that was a significant factor in India losing the game. 

"Was it a shock? I would say yes, there is a surprise, but you anticipate and understand that in these conditions the game can turn on its head because there is so much spin on offer,” Abhishek Nayar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

"Even if you look at the last game, it was relatively easy to score against the new ball. As the ball got older, the conditions when batting second got slightly tougher. Sometimes in tough conditions, especially in the 50-over format, this happens.

"They bowled well - I think Vandersay bowled the ideal length in these conditions. In such conditions, when the ball is turning – and the way Vandersay bowled today, used his finger, and bowled stump to stump – you get these phases when there is assistance from the pitch. I feel today we should give more credit to Sri Lanka," he added.

We want to go back and understand and rectify: Abhishek Nayar

Nayar talked about how the side wants to analyse their current situation and try to understand why such performances have happened twice in a row. He reflected on the first ODI, where India was unable to build partnerships, and compared it to the second ODI loss, where the Men in Blue lost a lot of wickets in quick succession. 

"We want to go back and understand and rectify why it happened twice in a row. The day before yesterday, we were able to stitch partnerships. But today we lost quite a few wickets in a bundle,” Nayar said.