‘Indians usually play on good wickets and smaller boundaries’ – Theekshana on how SL plotted India’s loss

Sri Lanka proved too good for India in the recently concluded ODI series, beating them in the three match series 2-0for the first time in 27 years. Having lost the T20Is (0-3) earlier, the hosts needed to turn the tables around quickly, and they did that magnificently. Maheesh Theekshana, a white-ball specialist, explained how Sri Lanka plotted India’s downfall in the One Dayers.

Theekshana has played a few seasons with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League before, besides touring India for a white-ball series in recent years.

Theekshana elaborated that he had observed thepatternand noticed that the Indian players play more on good batting wickets and on grounds with smaller boundaries, and playing them at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where square boundaries are wider, would benefit the hosts, which eventually happened.

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Chasing 249 in the final game on Wednesday (August 7), India, for the third time in the series, got off to a flyer, with Captain Rohit Sharma again leading from the front. Although he failed to score his third fifty in the series, he took the attack to the opposition from the word go.

However, once he lost his wicket, the Sri Lankan spinners, mainly Dunith Wellalage, who picked a five-for, tore into the Indian batting order, wrapping them up for a lowly 138.

"They (India) usually play on good wickets and small boundaries in India. We knew playing in Premadasa, if there's a little bit of turn, we can take advantage because we have good spinners," Theekshana, who picked two wickets in the 3rd ODI, said after the match.

‘Win boosts our confidence’

Theekshana added that Sri Lankan batters are used to playing on such turning wickets and thus managed to survive the Indian spin attack comfortably. He also admitted that the ODI series win was a confidence booster for him and the team.

"Even in domestic, the wickets are like this, and our batters know how to play," Theekshana continued while praising the Sri Lankan batting unit.

"For me, it's a confidence booster as a team. We lost the T20 series 3-0. The whole team was disappointed, and we took it as motivation. Very happy to play the last game and win the series after 1997. It's a huge victory for us, and I am really proud to be part of the XI," the off-spinner added.

Sri Lanka will now travel to England for three Tests, starting August 21, and Team India will face Bangladesh in the two Tests of the home season, beginning in September.

(With inputs from agencies)