It was expected to be a one-sided tour for India. Sri Lanka are no longer as threatening a team as they had once been, highlighted by their failure to qualify for next year’s Champions Trophy. They were up against a near-full-strength India, a side that had looked invincible in their run to the ODI World Cup final in 2023. With a new captain, who had to deal with injury concerns to several big names, Sri Lanka were not backed to pose much of a challenge.

It was also a battle that had gone heavily in favour of India in the recent past. Since the start of 2015 and before the start of the series, Sri Lanka had won only three out of 19 ODIs against India. At home, the number fell to just one win.

But two games in and India have been left surprised. Chasing 231 in the first ODI, India succumbed from 75-0 to 132-5 and were bowled out for 230 as the match ended in a tie. A similar pattern followed in the second ODI as well: After a 97-run opening stand in a run chase of 241, India lost six wickets for 49 runs. They eventually lost the game by 32 runs.

Undoubtedly, the batting performance will be scrutinised. Though the R Premadasa pitch has offered plenty of spin, the targets shouldn't have been a challenge, given the calibre of India's batters. But there's more to the twin failures.

In the first ODI, Washington Sundar, who had a batting average of 24.09 before the match, was sent in at No.4 with the score at 80-2, to counter Wanindu Hasaranga's leg-spin, who was held back as Sri Lanka offered a counter-punch. This move didn't pay off as Sundar was dismissed for five against the unfavourable match-up of Dananjaya. Three quick wickets fell in succession, following which KL Rahul and Axar Patel came together, having to bat out a majority of Hasaranga's overs. However, their 57-run stand came at a glacial pace, taking 92 balls, which took the momentum away from India. While Shivam Dube aimed to provide some relief, Sri Lanka's spinners exploited the conditions skillfully. Having plenty of options at their disposal also allowed them to one-up India in terms of strategies.

In the second game, India's World Cup heroes, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul, were pushed down to No.6 and No.7, with Dube and Axar promoted up the order. The intent was to maintain a left-right combination during the middle overs when the off-spinners and leg-spinners were operating but Iyer and Rahul found themselves waiting for their turn at a critical moment in the game.

After a tumultuous few months, Shreyas Iyer returns to the international set-up for the ODIs against Sri Lanka. 🔥#SLvIND pic.twitter.com/gpVYrjaK3f

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) July 20, 2024

Despite being right-handers, both Iyer and Rahul have a proven track record against all types of spin. Iyer averages 66.8 against off-spin, 40 against leg-spin, and 214 against left-arm orthodox bowling. Rahul's averages are 53.9, 49.7, and 68.4 against the same, respectively. On the other hand, Dube and Axar have faced quality leg spinners less often in their careers.

After the game, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar suggested the thinking behind holding back the experienced duo: “It's more a left and right combination, keeping in mind the conditions, keeping in mind that they had an off-spinner and a leg spinner. The thought process has been about having the left-right combination so that we can capitalise on the conditions.”

India's batting performance has also been affected by how the two teams have picked their XI, with Sri Lanka understanding and reading the conditions better. They have thrown up a bowler well-suited for the situation anytime India have tried to think out of the box.

This has been a series for the slower bowlers. In the first two ODIs, spinners across the two sides have taken 28 wickets at an average of 20.42 with an economy rate of 4.26. The pacers, on the other hand, have grabbed just six wickets, averaging 50.50.

But, have India made the most of the conditions on offer? In both games, India have gone in with three spinners and two seamers along with medium-pacer Dube. While the trio of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Dube have bowled a combined 39 overs between them, picking five wickets, the Sri Lanka pace counterparts have just sent down 17 overs in two games.

Sri Lanka handed a debut to fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz for the first ODI but dropped him for the second game for an additional spinner. Asitha Fernando, the lone fast bowler, did not send down his full quota of overs in the second ODI as the hosts attacked with spin.

On the other hand, India's pacers bowled 19 overs combined in the second game, giving away 121 runs on a wicket that had little assistance. The fact that Axar, Sundar and Kuldeep grabbed six wickets at an economy rate of 3.48 showed what would have worked instead.

India had the option of playing Riyan Parag, a handy spinner who picked 3-5 in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, but he was on the bench. Parag is yet to make his ODI debut but the situation called for him to be given an opportunity, which would have allowed India greater spin bowling resources. He is also a handy batter, averaging 41.95 in List A cricket.

What makes the move to go in with three quicks even more baffling is Nayar expressing how they were aware the conditions would assist the spinners: “When we came here and practised as well, we kind of understood that there will be turn on offer, there will be help and assistance (for the spinners). It wasn't a surprise and we had prepared for it.”

In a series as close as this one, making the right decisions and adapting on the go has proven to be crucial, and India will know, among other things, that they could have done better on that front.

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