Axar Patel's exceptional all-round display was overshadowed by Dasun Shanaka's brilliance as Sri Lanka fought back after losing the first T20I and registered an emphatic win in the second T20I on January 05 (Thursday) in Pune. The Islanders rode on their captain's majestical night in Pune and thumped India by 16 runs. Shanaka first scored 56 not out off 22 balls and then bagged two wickets in the last over of the game to kill any hopes of an Indian miracle.
One of the major reasons behind India's defeat on Thursday was the lack of discipline by the bowlers, who conceded seven no-balls on the night. Arshdeep Singh alone bowled five no-balls while Shivam Mavi and Umran Malik delivered a no-ball each. After the game, captain Hardik Pandya affirmed that no-balls are a 'crime' in any format of the game and head coach Rahul Dravid echoed the all-rounder's sentiments in the post-match press conference.
"Nobody wants to bowl wides and no-balls in any format of the game, but especially in the T20 format of the game," Dravid said while reflecting on Indian bowlers lack of discipline.
"The young kids will have games like this at times, and I think we all need to be patient with them, (but) we need to be understanding that games like this can't happen.
"I think as they're learning, it's tough. It's not easy learning in international cricket. You have to learn on the job. I think we're going to have to have a little bit of patience with these guys," the Indian head coach added.
Chasing a daunting target of 207 runs, the Men in Blue clawed their way back into the game after losing early wickets after Axar and Suryakumar Yadav lit up the night sky in Pune. The spin-bowling all-rounder delivered an impeccable spell with the ball (2/24) and then played a blistering knock of 65 runs off 31 balls with the help of three fours and six sixes. Suryakumar chipped in with 51 runs off 36 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes.
Despite the best efforts of Axar and Suryakumar, India could only manage to score 190/8 in 20 overs.
