Former Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has expressed concerns over India’s poor performance in their ODI series loss to Sri Lanka.
India’s batting lineup struggled, with Rohit Sharma being the only consistent batter against Sri Lanka’s spinners. Throughout the series, India lost 27 wickets to spin, highlighting a major weakness. Ahmed believes this could signal a tough period for India’s batting lineup.
Tanvir noted that apart from veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the newer players lack the technique to succeed on pitches with turn, seam, and swing.
Watch how the Indian batting lineup fares in the future. The bowling might hold up, but the batting will struggle. Except for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the current new batters can’t carry this lineup forward,” Tanvir said.
He criticized the Indian batters for not making the most of their chances during the series. According to him, the inability to score on challenging pitches reveals deeper issues within the team.
They might score on flat home pitches, but on turning, seaming, and swinging pitches, this Indian batting lineup lacks the ability to perform. They could have scored runs in the first match, which ended in a tie, and in the second and third ODIs,” he said.
Ahmed also urged the Indian team and the BCCI to focus on their own performances before criticizing Pakistan.
First, look at your own performances before commenting on Pakistan. If Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah don’t play against Pakistan, Pakistan will beat India hands down,” he concluded.
India’s ODI series against Sri Lanka saw them lose the second match by 32 runs and the third by 110 runs after the first game ended in a tie. In the final ODI, chasing a target of 249, India was bowled out for 138.
This unexpected home series loss has raised concerns about India’s readiness for upcoming challenges. With only three more ODIs before the Champions Trophy 2025 in February, India has limited time to find the right combination, especially with key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami expected to return.
