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After pocketing a two-run win in the series opener, Team India went down fighting to Sri Lanka by 16 runs in the second T20I of the three-match series at the MCA stadium in Pune on Thursday (January 6).
Axar Patel put up an exceptional all-round show as he first bowled a super spell of 2/24 and then followed it up with a scintillating knock of 65 off 31 balls but eventually couldn't save the Men In Blue from losing to the Islanders which left the series equation 1-1.
Beside Axar, India's bowling attack lacked strength despite the return of their death overs specialist Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm star pacer leaked runs in his spell of two overs which was loaded with no-balls. The star left-arm pacer gave away five no-balls in total and he conceded a 37 runs in a spell of two overs.
Meanwhile, India skipper Hardik Pandya rued India's defeat and said that it was not about blaming Arshdeep but bowling no balls in any format is a crime.
"You can have a good day, you can have a bad day, but you shouldn't be moving away from the basics. For Arshdeep, in this situation, it is very difficult. In past as well he's bowled no-balls," Pandya said after the match.
"It is not about blaming him or to be too hard on him, but we know no-balls in any format is a crime."
Introduced into the attack in the second over of Sri Lanka's innings, left-arm pacer Arshdeep ended up bowling back-to-back three no-balls in the opening spell. Giving Sri Lanka a rollicking start in the Powerplay, pacer Arshdeep leaked 19 runs in the second over. Pacer Arshdeep bowled his first no-ball on the penultimate delivery of the second over.
Pandya also admitted that the Men In Blue were not up to the mark in the powerplays both in batting and bowling.
"Both in bowling and batting, the powerplay hurt us. We made some basic errors, which we shouldn't be making at this level. Everyone knows what it is. The learning for us is we should be focusing on what we can control," he said.
Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka took the game away from India as he delivered with both bat and the ball. First he smoked Indian bowlers all over the park riding on in his 22-ball 56 blitz and then defended 21 off the last over which also earned him the Player of the Match award.
"We could've done well in the middle part. Game was set by the openers. Need to play well in the middle order to allow finishers to finish well," Shanaka said in the post match presentation.
However, the explosive batter was all praise for Axar and Suryakumar Yadav, who weaved a 91-run sixth wicket partnership to take India deep into the game and almost won it. Suryakumar once again delivered with the bat with a stunning 51 off 36 before taking the longest walk towards pavilion.
"It's not the dew factor, it's the skill of Indian batters. They took the game away from us but still we managed to hold the nerve. Really good to defend the total especially against India in these conditions," Shanaka added.
