How Gautam Gambhir's successful T20I experiment failed in first India vs Sri Lanka ODI in Colombo?

Add as a preferred source on Google

Gautam Gambhir's experiment which succeeded in the T20I series, failed in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo after Washington was dismissed for just five runs off five balls.

Gambhir did the experiment of a right-hand left-hand pair all the time in the middle in the preceding T20I series. Rishabh Pant was promoted to bat at four after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed in the first T20I. In the second T20I, Hardik Pandya walked at four after the fall of the second wicket in the form of right-hand batter Suryakumar Yadav.

The same formula was tried in the first ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday (August 2). With no Yashasvi Jaiswal in the squad, India opened with their regular openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill - both right-handers.

Virat Kohli has been India's designated number three for more than a decade now, and therefore two right-handers remained in the crease after Gill's departure. However, left-hand batter Washington Sundar was promoted at four as soon as Rohit got out.

But unfortunately, the plan did not work and Washington Sundar was trapped in front of stumps by Akila Dananjaya. From 75/0 in 12.3 overs, India slipped to 87/3 in 15.4 overs.

The next two batters who walked in were also right-handers. Shreyas Iyer joined Kohli after Sundar's dismissal, and KL Rahul came in the middle after Kohli was sent packing by Wanindu Hasaranga for 24 off 32.

India went in the first ODI with two southpaw players who could bat. Rishabh Pant wasn't included in the squad for KL Rahul. Left-hander Axar Patel, who was used as a floater in the T20 World Cup 2024, was promoted up in the batting order.

At the time this article was published, India were 132/5 in 24.2 overs while chasing 231. Axar Patel and KL Rahul were batting in the middle with Shivam Dube the only specialist batter to follow.