Sri Lanka Beats India in 2nd ODI: Coach Abhishek Nayar Praises Jeffrey Vandersay’s Bowling

India’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, noted that it’s been rare to see Sri Lanka triumph over India in recent times. However, the challenging conditions played a significant role in the outcome. India lost to Sri Lanka by 32 runs in the 2nd ODI of the three-match series at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Abhishek Nayar highlighted the exceptional performance of Sri Lankan spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who bowled with precise lengths and the resilient batting from Sri Lanka’s lower order. Nayar said, “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.”

Nayar expressed that the loss was indeed surprising and emphasized the need to analyze and rectify why they encountered similar issues in consecutive matches. He pointed out that in the first game, they managed to build partnerships, but in the match, they suffered from losing wickets in quick succession. “Was it a shock? I would say yes, there is a surprise. You anticipate and understand that in these conditions the game can turn on its head because there is so much spin on offer. 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. 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,” the assistant coach added.

He emphasized his belief that in any sport, a player’s position only matters when they play in different phases of the game. Nayar further revealed the reason behind the team’s loss in the match saying that it was due to losing wickets during the middle phase, which was when the middle-order batters were at the crease. “My belief is that in any sport, position only matters if you’re playing in different areas of a game. We lost wickets in the middle phase, and that’s where the middle order batters batted. It’s not as if middle order batters batted towards the end,” the former batter added.

Nayar believes that the strategy and thought process were sound, even though the results did not pan out as expected. He acknowledged that such decisions are often questioned when they don’t succeed, but he maintained that having middle order batters bat in their designated phase was the correct approach. “The thought process was right. When it doesn’t work out, these questions are asked often. But I’ve always believed that if a middle order batter bats as a middle order batter, it is the right decision,” Nayar concluded.