Indians look to regroup after loss

Kohli to lead in place of injured Dhoni as Men in Blue take on Sri Lanka in second game

Their unbeaten run brought to a halt, India would look to get over the disappointment of a narrow loss when they take on familiar sub-continental foes Sri Lanka in their second match of the tri-nation ODI series here on Tuesday.

The one-wicket loss to the West Indies on Sunday ended India’s nine-match winning streak during which they lifted the Champions Trophy in London last month. India had won four Tests against Australia and five matches in the recent Champions Trophy on the trot.

Tested by the conditions, the famed Indian batting struggled and even though the team’s bowlers did a commendable job, the hosts managed to snatch a win by the thinnest of margins. The Indians also had to contend with skipper MS Dhoni not taking the field during the West Indian innings due to the cramps he suffered while batting.

On a pitch which did not exactly help stroke-making, Rohit Sharma shone with a patient half-century.

But the troika of Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik found the going tough in the tournament-opener and will have to adapt quickly to make an impact. Suresh Raina, however, applied himself well for a 44 that was crucial to take India past 200.

The bowlers did their job commendably and could have pulled it off for India had they been given more runs to defend.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, were quite literally mauled in their opening match. They just about managed to post a little over 200 and were then left to contend with a raging Chris Gayle, who unleashed his fury in the most devastating manner.

The shock of that defeat would be difficult to get over for the island nation and it would be interesting to see how they cope with the prospect of having to contain a strong Indian line-up. The over-reliance on senior batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara once again stood exposed.