One of the greatest bowlers to to have graced the sport, Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan reacted to coach Mickey Arthur’s angry outburst during the 2nd ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday in Colombo.
In the last few overs of the chase, as India were closing the gap after a thrilling comeback, the expression on the Sri Lankan coach’s face made it clear what was going through his mind.
After the loss, he was captured having an intense conversation with skipper Dasun Shanka on the field. Deepak Chahar (69*) led India to victory as the visitors won the 2nd ODI by three wickets and thus taking an unassialable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Reacting to Arthur’s outburst, Muralitharan told ESPNCricinfo that the coach should have stayed ‘calm’ and should have sent some messages to the skipper instead of reacting the way he did.
Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold also took to social media to react to Arthur’s reactions.
https://twitter.com/RusselArnold69/status/1417549796844265474
The Sri Lankan coach replied to Russel’s tweet and stated that the former Sri Lankan bowler does not need to make a ‘mischief’ out of it.
https://twitter.com/Mickeyarthurcr1/status/1417575513892163586
In what could have been Sri Lanka’s day on the field after reducing India to 193/7, the host could not get the job done as Chahar along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar led India to victory in a nerve-wrecking chase. The anxiety and pressure were through the roofs, however, the experienced Indians held their nerves and led India to a memorable win.
Muralitharan reckons that Sri Lanka do not know how to ‘win a match’, calling them an ‘inexperienced’ side.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. Avishka Fernando (50) and Asalanka (65) scored half-centuries and the others pitched in with handy runs to help Sri Lanka post a competitive 275/9. Bhuvneshwar and Yuzvender Chahal claimed three wickets each in restricting the hosts from scoring big.
However, the chase saw India reeling after loosing their openers early. Manish Pandey (37) and Suryakumar Yadav (53) held the fort before the middle-order was sent back to the pavilion. At 193/7 in 35.1 overs, it was the eight-wicket stand between Chahar and Bhuvneshwar took India over the line.
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