There Was No Strategy From This Sri Lankan Team - Ramiz Raja Slams Sri Lanka's Dismal Batting Display In First T20I Against India

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja is utterly displeased by Sri Lanka’s meek surrender against India in the first T20I on Sunday in Colombo. That has been the case for some time now for this Sri Lankan team.

The hosts fell 38 runs shorts – in a T20 match – of India’s 164 and once again conceded a lead in the first match of the series.

Barring middle-order batsman Charith Asalanka, who scored a quick knock of 44 runs off 26 balls, none of the other Lankan batters seemed to play comfortably against the Indian bowling attack.

Ramiz Raja bewailed Sri Lanka’s ineptness of failing to make the best use of their home advantage. He felt the Indian team wouldn’t mind defending the total of 164 considering the Lankan batting line-up has been fragile for the past few years.

“When India scored 160-odd they would have expected to win, because you can expect Sri Lanka to frequently commit mistakes. You needed one-two partnerships and a batsman had to score 70-odd to win the game.

“But there was no strategy from this Sri Lankan team. If you can’t chase 160 at home, where will you? To bring new players in a losing environment is dangerous. So it is important for Sri Lanka to start preparing wickets that challenge India,” Ramiz Raja said in his YouTube video.

Suryakumar Yadav is a great find: Ramiz Raja

The 58-year-old commentator marvelled over India’s latest sensation – Suryakumar Yadav, who struck 50 off 34 balls, his second T20I fifty in just his third innings. Yadav was also the Man of the Series in the preceding ODI series, which was his debut ODI series.

Ramiz Raja hailed Yadav’s sensational start in international cricket; he is impressed by the right-hander’s range of shots, and moreover his temperament.

“Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant innings. It doesn’t seem that he is playing his first season for India because he has almost instantly announced himself on the international stage.

“To bat with a certain tempo and to improvise without taking risks is really difficult. He is almost ten steps ahead of the opposition, has a lot of options to attack and is a great find,” the former Pakistan batsman added.

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