India captain Rohit Sharma dismissed suggestions of complacency following his team’s 110-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the third ODI, resulting in a 2-0 series loss. This marks India’s first bilateral series defeat to Sri Lanka since August 1997.
In the post-match presentation, Sharma stated, "No, it's a joke. When you're playing for India, there's no complacency. We have to give credit where it is due, Sri Lanka played better than us."
India struggled significantly against Sri Lankan spinners throughout the series, with 27 of their wickets falling to spin. Jeffrey Vandersay's six-wicket haul and Dunith Wellalage's five-wicket performance highlighted India's inability to handle spin on turning pitches.
Sharma acknowledged the issue, saying, "I don't think it's a concern, but it's something we need to look at seriously, as well as towards our individual game plans. It's something we were definitely put under pressure within this series."
Despite a few positives, such as quick starts from Rohit Sharma and promising performances from all-rounders Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag, Sharma emphasized the need for improvement. "Throughout (the series), there were a few positives too. How the spinners bowled, some of the batters in the middle as well. We lost the series, and I feel there are a lot of areas we need to look at rather than the positives," he said.
Looking ahead to the Champions Trophy, Sharma stressed the importance of addressing these weaknesses. "We need to go back and look at what we need to do when we come up against conditions like this. Series lost doesn't mean the end of the world. These guys have been playing very well over the past few years, very consistent. You will lose the odd series here and there, but it is about how you come back after the loss," Sharma concluded.
