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'It Was A Shock': Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar On India's Humiliating Defeat Vs SL

India lost by 32 runs Vs SL [X] India lost by 32 runs Vs SL [X]

India suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the three-match series.

It was deja vu all over again, as Sri Lanka batted first, and just like the first game, struggled for runs, but managed to post a decent 240/9 on the board.

Just like the first ODI, India got off to a terrific start, courtesy, skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored yet another blistering fifty, but once he departed, the entire batting lineup crumbled.

The middle-order, barring Axar Patel, didn't put up much of a fight as the Indian side were all-out for 208, handing Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the series.

Abhishek Nayar speaks on Team India's shocking loss Vs SL

After the match, team's assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, recognized that it was a shocker that the team lost against Sri Lanka, but he wasn't entirely surprised by the performance of the hosts.

“Was it a shock? I would yes, there is a surprise,” Nayar said. “But you anticipate and understand that in these conditions the game can turn on its head because there is so much spin on offer.”

He also defended the team's middle-order strategy, adding that the team kept a left-right combination in mind, while taking the call for the middle-order combinations.

“If you look at numbers like four, five, or six, maybe sometimes it can play games in your head. It was more about keeping a left-and-right combination, keeping in mind that there were off-spinners, and a legs pinner in the Sri Lanka team."

With the first match ending in a tie, India cannot win the series, but a victory in the final match on Wednesday will help the visitors level the series.