India, Australia flagbearers in world cricket: Mickey Arthur

Mickey Arthur, the head coach of Sri Lanka, feels that India along with Australia are currently the flagbearers in world cricket. The South African, recently, joined the Lankan team, which is going through a transition phase. The 51-year-old Arthur, who’s also the former Pakistan coach, is currently in India where Lanka are taking part in a three-match T20I series.

The visitors lost the second T20I in Indore by seven wickets and fell 0-1 down in the series. Arthur was impressed with KL Rahul’s display of stroke-play. Rahul scored 45 off 32 before Wanindu Hasaranga foxed him with a wrong’urn. Arthur also reckoned that Australia have found their feet back at the highest level after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

India don’t have any apparent weaknesses

“You look at someone like KL Rahul he hit some shots that were absolutely amazing. India along with probably Australia now I think Australia have found their mojo again are certainly the flagbearers in world cricket,” Arthur was quoted as saying in India Today.

India haven’t quite dominated in the T20 format as they have done in Tests and ODIs. However, Arthur has found it tough to find chinks in their armour. “They are a great cricket team and there are no apparent weaknesses,” the veteran stated.

About the game at the Holkar Stadium, Arthur admitted that the Islanders didn’t get adequate runs on the board. For Lanka, a few of their top-order batsmen got starts, but couldn’t convert. Arthur wants his batters to make the starts count.

“We did not get enough runs. We lost one of our bowlers (Isuru Udana) unfortunately in the warm-up, but I think we were about 20-25 runs short of putting India under some pressure. We had a couple of our batsmen getting starts, but starts are not good enough. Somebody needs to get a 60-70 or 80 for us, and that is going to be the journey for us,” Arthur added.

Having already missed the chance of winning the series, all Lanka could do is draw level. The third and final T20I is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 10 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.