They also claimed that an ODI’s middle overs are boring. The entire action in the series between India and Sri Lanka takes place during the exact moment when the 50-over format becomes boring. And a big part of that is because they have been playing these games—the first of which finished in a tie—on pitches that present a hitter with challenges that go much beyond simple skill.
In order to prevent the expansive drive, even when it appears that the ball is being tossed up, players may consider playing two overs ahead of time when playing cricket. This is because a delectable half-volley may dip and turn, moving past the centre of the bat and taking the edge through to slip.
India has spent the better part of the last two years bashing restraint out of themselves, but now it’s the very thing separating them from a somewhat disreputable record. Only five of the 22 bilateral ODI series have they lost. Despite missing several first-team players, they have won the last ten rubber matches against Sri Lanka, a run that will stop on Wednesday whatever of the outcome. This speaks highly of the Sri Lankan team’s performance. With an average of 24.7 and only 10 wicket losses compared to India’s 17.8 and 14 wicket losses, they are undoubtedly winning the middle-overs match.
The aggression displayed by Rohit Sharma at the top of the order throughout the series has caused Sri Lankan supporters to yearn for the times when their lineup was also full of all-time greats. India supporters may be observing Dunith Wellalage, who is only 21 years old, guiding Sri Lanka through consecutive collapses as if he were someone they used to assist. Out of the two players in this series, he is the only one who can strike the ball better than run it. The other man has been playing this format for nearly his whole life.
These three matches, whether India wins and ties the series or Sri Lanka wins and takes the series 2-0, will probably be a significant learning experience for both sides, which is another reason why bilateral ODI cricket is still worthwhile (although does it really need to last eight hours?).
Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando in the spotlight
In his last 15 innings for India in all forms, Virat Kohli has only scored one fifty. Here’s the problem, though. He appears to be in good shape. Additionally, this is ODI cricket. He is so knowledgeable about it that he could probably write five different books on it, star in their film adaptations, and yet not be done. Therefore, a huge score is likely in the cards, and even if it isn’t, he doesn’t care about his stats as long as he feels good at the gym and doesn’t feel pressured to participate. At that point, there will be reason to be concerned.
Avishka The finest of both worlds is Fernando. If the mood takes him, he may skilfully manoeuvre the ball to the boundary or make it much worse. He connects offensive shots in the same way that the rest of us do. For him, it comes naturally. With the exception of a few occasions when he might overplay, 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run threshold, and 17 of those innings have had fewer than ten runs. He’ll be working hard to prove his abilities and establish himself as one of Sri Lanka’s constants.