Aakash Chopra believes the India-Sri Lanka series will become a no-contest affair if the hosts are made to field a second-string side as their main team is also fairly weak.
The start of the India-Sri Lanka limited-overs series has reportedly been postponed, with the first ODI likely to be played on July 18th instead of July 13th. The Lankans have also kept a backup squad in case of any exigencies.
Aakash Chopra: Sri Lanka Also Had Two Teams Ready And Their First Side Is Already Fairly Weak
Speaking about the developments in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Sri Lanka’s first XI has also been found wanting in recent times having lost series to Bangladesh and England recently.
“Sri Lanka also had two teams ready. One is in isolation, which has come back from England and the other one was practicing in Dambulla. But just think about it, Sri Lanka’s first side is already fairly weak.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that even some of the former Sri Lankan players feel that their main side is no match for a slightly depleted Indian team that is without Test specialists who are in England.
Aakash Chopra observed: “Former Sri Lankan players believe that if the Sri Lankan main team wins even one match against the so-called second-string Indian team, it will be like a miracle because India’s second-string Indian team is better than their first team.”
Aakash Chopra highlighted that the series would have become an even bigger one-sided affair if Sri Lanka had to play with a second-string side.
He elaborated: “In such a scenario, if their second-string side was made to play, it would not have been a contest. A bilateral series anyway does not have context and if you remove contest as well, what will be the fun.”
The Sri Lankan team was whitewashed 3-0 by hosts England in the recent T20I series between the two sides. They avoided the ignominy of a similar result in the ODI series as well when the final encounter was washed out after the visitors were bundled out for 166 runs.
Aakash Chopra: One Needs To Be Prepared For Distractions Amidst Covid-19 Crisis
While acknowledging that the start of the series getting delayed is “concerning news”, Aakash Chopra signed off by stating that everyone needs to be prepared for this new normal in the aftermath of Covid-19. In this context, the 43-year-old Aakash Chopra observed that one needs to be prepared for disruptions in current times
“It is being believed that the series will be postponed. This has become a sad reality of these times that such things will happen. It is not great news but then this is concerning news. We all have to get used to this idea that such things are going to happen.“
A few days back hosts England also had to put together a second squad when some of the players and support staff(3 players and 4 staff) in their initial 16 men contingent tested positive for COVID-19. However, even their second-string XI from 18 men squad with 9 uncapped players crushed Pakistan by nine wickets in the first ODI.
It has been 36 years since England put out a side with so few caps (135, with Ben Stokes accounting for 99 of them and James Vince 17 more). Ultimately, there were five new caps in the England side, the most since the ODI against Ireland in May 2015.
Top-order batters Zak Crawley and Phil Salt, wicketkeeper John Simpson, seam-bowling allrounder Lewis Gregory and fast bowler Brydon Carse all made their debuts. Zak Crawley and Lewis Gregory had played Test cricket and T20Is respectively, but the other three had no experience of international cricket.