'Pakistan will beat India hands down,' says former pacer after Sri Lanka ODI loss

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Former Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has voiced his concerns over India's disappointing performance in their ODI series loss to Sri Lanka. 

The series exposed significant vulnerabilities in India's batting lineup, with Rohit Sharma being the only batter to consistently display confidence against Sri Lanka's spin bowlers.

India's struggle against spin was evident throughout the series as they lost a staggering 27 wickets to the Lankan spinners. Ahmed pointed out that this series could mark the beginning of a challenging period for India's batting lineup. 

Tanvir emphasized that, aside from veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the newer members of the team lack the technique to thrive on pitches that offer turn, seam, and swing.

"You see what happens to the Indian batting lineup from here on in the future. The bowling lineup might work it out but the batting lineup will find it difficult. All the new batters in this Indian team at the moment, barring Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, they cannot carry forward this batting lineup in the future," Tanvir said.

He further criticized the Indian batters for failing to capitalize on their opportunities throughout the series. According to him, the inability to score on challenging pitches exposes a deeper issue within the team.

"They might score runs in their home conditions on flat pitches but on pitches where the ball turns seams and swings this batting lineup of India does not have the life to bat in those conditions. They could have scores runs in the first match, that ended in a time, could have scored runs in the second and third ODI as well," he said.

Ahmed also issued a strong message to the Indian team and the BCCI, urging them to focus on their own performances before critiquing Pakistan. 

"First look into your own performances and then have suggestions on Pakistan. If Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah does not play against Pakistan, Pakistan will beat India hands down," he concluded. 

India's ODI series against Sri Lanka saw them lose the second match by 32 runs and the third by 110 runs after the first game ended in a tie. In the final ODI, chasing a target of 249, India was bowled out for 138.

This unexpected loss to Sri Lanka, especially in home conditions, has raised concerns about India's readiness for upcoming challenges. With only three more ODIs scheduled before the Champions Trophy 2025 in February, India has limited time to find the right combination, especially with the anticipated return of key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.