"The batting struggled a little under lights" - Aakash Chopra on India's chase in 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that India's batters struggled slightly in their run chase in the second ODI against Sri Lanka before KL Rahul bailed the hosts out of trouble.

The Lankan Lions were bowled out for 215 after opting to bat first at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, January 12. The Men in Blue chased down the target with four wickets and 40 deliveries to spare to seal the three-match series ahead of the final game.

While reviewing the match in a video shared on his YouTube, Chopra was slightly disappointed with India's batting performance, elaborating:

"The batting disappointed slightly. The batting was amazing in the first match and we felt the bowling could have been better. The bowling came good in the second match but the batting struggled a little under lights. I expected an easy run chase, that we will chase with two or three wickets down, but that did not happen."

Chopra pointed out that India's top-order batters failed to deliver, contrary to expectations, observing:

"I felt it would be extremely easy for Rohit Sharma - chasing only 215 against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, but that did not happen. Wickets fell regularly. First Rohit got out, then Gill after him, and then Kohli. The heart started beating slightly fast when Shreyas Iyer got out."

Rohit Sharma (17) and Shubman Gill (21) added 33 runs in the first five overs before both were dismissed within the space of four deliveries. While Virat Kohli managed just four runs, Shreyas Iyer's (28) dismissal left India tottering at 86/4.

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"Until Hardik was there it seemed it had become a one-sided match" - Aakash Chopra

KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya strung together a 75-run partnership. [P/C: BCCI]

Chopra added that the hosts seemed to have sealed the game when KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya repaired the damage, saying:

"India were 62/3 and then 86/4. Then the vice-captain and the former vice-captain - Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul - joined hands, and until Hardik was there it seemed it had become a one-sided match."

The cricketer-turned-commentator lauded Rahul for proving the team management's call to play him ahead of Suryakumar Yadav right, stating:

"Then Hardik got out and then Axar, but KL Rahul was present. That is the whole point. Our excitement level goes so high because SKY (Suryakumar Yadav) is doing so well, but if you see KL Rahul's numbers for the last one year, he is regularly doing well."

Chopra concluded by pointing out that Rahul showcased multiple facets of his game in the last two matches, explaining:

"You won the match because KL Rahul remained unbeaten till the end. He scored 64 runs. Whatever type of cricket you ask him to play, he plays that way. He played at a strike rate of 150 in the last match and a strike rate of 62 in this match. He has all the gears."

Rahul scored an unbeaten 64 off 103 deliveries, a knock studded with six fours. Apart from his 75-run fifth-wicket partnership with Pandya, he added 30 and 28 runs with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav respectively to take India across the line.