Cardiff, July 17: The Indian cricket team faced a disappointing 4-wicket defeat against England in the second ODI. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak believes that Washington Sundar’s injury and the subsequent loss of two quick wickets severely disrupted India’s innings, marking a significant turning point in the match. He stated that a total of 233 runs was insufficient.
In a post-match press conference, Sitanshu remarked, “In the last match, we had partnerships, and we had a similar situation in this game. Our score was 178/3, and as long as Virat Kohli was at the crease, we were building partnerships. Unfortunately, Washington Sundar’s injury was unfortunate, and after he got out, we lost two wickets in quick succession. I think that made the biggest difference. If we had scored 270 or 280 runs, it would have certainly been challenging.”
However, the Indian batting coach firmly rejected blaming the pitch for the loss. He explained, “It seemed like the balls were coming evenly, while the back-of-length deliveries in the first innings were bouncing a bit. In the second innings, the bounce was not as pronounced, but the pace was slower. It was a wicket with some double bounce, but we understood how it was playing. Therefore, blaming the pitch makes no sense.”
He emphasized that when the pitch shows double pace or bounce, it is crucial for batsmen to adapt. Sitanshu noted that Virat Kohli communicated about the pitch conditions to the dressing room while batting. He acknowledged that 233 runs was not enough, given the pitch and England’s batting capabilities. Sitanshu added that if the team had scored an additional 35 to 40 runs, the match could have been much more exciting.
The Indian team was all out for 233 runs in 44 overs. Virat Kohli scored 65 runs, while Shreyas Iyer contributed 66 runs. However, the performance of the other batsmen was disappointing. England chased down the target of 234 runs, losing 6 wickets in 44.1 overs, with Joe Root remaining unbeaten at 99 runs.
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