"They play on good wickets and small boundaries in India" Maheesh Theekshana makes bold statement after ODI series win

Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets in the third ODI.

After winning the T20I series, India started the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as firm favourites. However, the result of the series was not anticipated by many. India couldn’t register a single win in the three-ODI series.

The first game was tied and Sri Lankan spinners pounced on the Indian batting order in the next two games.

Eventually, the hosts won the series by a 2-0 scoreline, and it wasn’t a good start for the combination of Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir in ODIs as India prepare for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

The Indian batters looked rusty in the game, and they couldn’t chase moderate targets in all three games.

The pitches were tricky and spin-friendly, which made it hard for the Indian batters against the variety of Lankan spinners.

Sri Lankan off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana made an interesting comment about the competency of the Indian batters to tackle spin-friendly conditions.

SL vs IND: Maheesh Theekshana speaks about Sri Lankan spinners’ game plan against Indian batters

The last time Sri Lanka won an ODI bilateral series against India was in 1997; since then, they have had to wait for 27 years for this moment. The Sri Lankan spinners were all over the Indian batters in this ODI series, and apart from captain Rohit Sharma, none of the other Indian batters made any runs of note.

After the IND vs SL ODI series win, Maheesh Theekshana made an explosive statement, saying that Indian batters are used to playing on batting-friendly surfaces in India, while the pitch in Colombo was difficult for them.

Theekshana said, “It’s a huge victory for us, and I am really proud to be part of the XI. They (India) usually play on good wickets and small boundaries in India. We knew playing in Premadasa, if there’s a little bit turn, we can take advantage because we have good spinners.”

Theekshana also lauded the effort of his team and admitted that it was a massive moment for the team to beat the No. 1 ranked ODI team after losing the T20I series.

He added, “For me, it’s a confidence-booster as a team. We lost the T20 series 3-0. The whole team was disappointed and we took it as a motivation. Very happy to play the last game and win the series after 1997.”

The Men in Blue have only three more ODIs left before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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