Sri Lanka series: A disappointment for purists and Cricket lovers

New Delhi: Even the interim head coach of Sri Lanka feels that islanders need to learn from Indian Cricket team. The series was an insipid, dull and devoid of competitive flavour one-sided affair with Sri Lanka's never looked like coming close to beat India in all nine games, having lost the first two Tests inside four days and the last Test inside three days.

Sri Lanka was also bowled out thrice in the five match series without utilizing their full quota of overs. Things went worse for minnows Lanka when the experienced Angelo Mathews managed just three half-centuries in 12 innings. Moreover, none of them were match winning.

Another experienced Lankan Lasith Malinga is near his sunset in International Cricket. He is unfit, he is tired and he is done.

“Indian team is something a lot of teams aspire to be. The most important thing for us is learning from our mistakes, but most importantly, learning from them,” admitted Sri Lanka's own interim head coach Nic Pothas.

Virat Kohli and boys won every game they played in the seven-week tour of Sri Lanka. India whitewashed the Sri Lankans 3-0 in Tests before thumping the hosts 5-0 in ODIs prior to Wednesday's victory in the one off T-20 International at R. Premadasa Stadium.

The series, however, was a waste of time for India as nothing in seven-week tour challenged Indian cricketers. Be it bowling, batting or fielding, India outshined Lankans in every department.

Disappointments piled on Sri Lanka fans as India remained tough nut to crack. The gung-ho Indian batsmen kept the rhyme going in their desired direction. India was equipped with every weapon for every single challenge.

Rohit Sharma remained explosive throughout the ODI series with two tons and a fifty in the five-match series while Kohli also registered the same number of tons in the one-sided series. When India saw itself in trouble while chasing, one of the best finishers Mahendra Singh Dhoni came to rescue taking India to winning line in second and third ODIs respectively.

In second ODI, he amassed runs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar while in the third 50-over game, he scored winning runs after stitching record partnership with Hitman Rohit Sharma.

The series also proved that Dhoni has lot to offer and should be kept as a lethal weapon at least till 2019 World Cup.

KL Rahul, however, was the only failure in the playing XI. With openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma performing well, he was shifted to number 4 spot , ahead of Dhoni.

Kedar Jadhav was dropped when he did not perform in the first three ODIs. He, however, sealed his place in team with rock-solid 63-run inning in the final ODI.

Bowling revolved around Jasprit Bumrah who panicked Lankans with his yorkers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, may have not found wickets in the first four matches, but made Sri Lanka to struggle with his in-swing and out-swing. He also claimed five-wicket haul in the final ODI game.