We batted well in patches – Rohit Sharma comments on India’s ‘lack of consistent momentum’ in 1st ODI

It wasn’t exactly the smashing start that Team India would have wanted against Sri Lanka as the two teams shared the spoils of the first game on the back of an oscillating tie in the first ODI of the three-match series.

Indian captain, Rohit Sharma spearheaded the charge with the bat in his hands but once he was back in the pavilion, that allowed Sri Lanka to keep things in check and eventually manage to eke out a draw despite India being within hand-shaking distance of the finish line.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Sharma highlighted that things could have been better despite the surface being a tricky one to bat on. He wasn’t happy with the show of momentum while also heaping praise on the fact that his wards kept on fighting till the very end.

Sharma said, “The scores are gettable, it's just that you have to bat well to get that score. We batted well in patches. There was no consistent momentum throughout the game for us. We started really well with the bat but we knew the game will start after 10 overs once the spinners come in to bowl.”

Shedding some light of the ever-oscillating momentum, Sharma added, “We had the upper hand to start with, then we lost a couple of wickets and fell behind the game. With the partnership that KL and Axar had, we again came back into the game pretty well. In the end, little disappointing, 14 balls, 1 run to get. These things happen. Sri Lanka played well. In the end, it was a fair result.”

He also talked about the pitch, stating, “It (pitch) remained the same. There was bite in the first 25 overs when we bowled and it was the same for them as well. As the game went on, the seam wore off for both teams and it was a bit easier to bat. It's not where you can just come and play your shots and get runs. You have to apply yourself and dig in really well to get that score.”

Rohit concluded by talking about India’s fighting spirit, saying, “Proud of the way we fought till the end. The game shifted towards both teams at different times. It was important to hold the nerve and stay in the game. We should have got that one run.”