2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka
Hardik Pandya suffered his first defeat as Team India skipper as Sri Lanka clinched the second T20I by 16 runs at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Thursday, January 5.
Sri Lanka notched up their first T20I win over India in 13 matches, leveling the series 1-1 ahead of the final game in Rajkot. The Men in Blue had a mixed day on the field, committing some amateur errors even as certain players came up with memorable performances to take them close to a victory.
Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke by India in the second T20I against Sri Lanka.
#3 Mistake - Powerplay and death bowling
Beginning to think Mavi's selection wasn't just another Hardik GT quota pick. This could be a result of Dravid's obsession with adding batting depth at the cost of bowling quality. Not gonna end well.
India turned in a bowling performance to forget in the second T20I. Arshdeep Singh was the main culprit, sending down a ridiculous five no-balls in two overs that went for 37 runs. He conceded 19 runs in the second over of the Sri Lankan innings, setting the tone for a powerplay that yielded 55 runs without a wicket.
India somewhat pulled things back in the middle overs, with Umran Malik scalping three wickets and Yuzvendra Chahal bowling three tight overs. Axar Patel starred with two wickets and was the most economical bowler in the first innings.
However, the death saw the Men in Blue lose the plot completely as Dasun Shanaka ran riot once again. The visiting captain stuck six sixes and two fours in the last three overs as Arshdeep, Malik and Shivam Mavi leaked a combined 59 runs in that period. Barely any yorkers or variations were bowled as Shanaka cleared the leg-side boundary with alarming ease.
#2 Masterstroke - Axar Patel's execution in tough conditions
Outstanding innings from Axar this. His bowling is a definite upgrade over Jadeja in white ball, and the more his batting improves against pace, the better it gets for India.
Against spin, Axar has already shown that he's better. Played a good knock in Bangladesh too.
Ahead of the first T20I, there were doubts over whether Axar Patel would be in the playing XI. Washington Sundar had made an impression since returning to the national setup, and India can't afford to play both spin-bowling all-rounders in their current playing XI.
But Axar has justified the team management's decision by being one of the best players in the series thus far. In Pune, his four overs went for just 24 runs as he sent Pathum Nissanka and Dhanajaya de Silva back to the pavilion. There wasn't much spin on offer and the boundaries were short, but the left-arm spinner kept a check on the scoring rate.
For the second game running, Axar made an important batting contribution. He smacked his maiden T20I fifty off just 20 balls, taking the attack to both the spinners and the pacers with alarming ease. The southpaw nearly took India over the line but fell in the final over, with his performance being one of the major bright spots in the second T20I.
#1 Mistake - Powerplay batting
India had no business getting this close to Sri lankan total if not for brilliance from Axar and contributions from SKY and Mavi.
Narrow escape in last match and getting close in this match shouldn't hide the continuous mistakes on India's part.
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Chasing 207, India needed a good start from their openers. But both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill played imprudent shots to get out, with the former missing a hoick across the line and the latter spooning a catch while attempting a half-hearted pull.
After losing the duo by the end of the second over, India needed Rahul Tripathi to take centerstage on debut. But the batter managed only five runs before nicking off while playing an expansive drive, a fate that befell captain Hardik Pandya just two overs later.
India finished the powerplay at 39/4, leaving their lower-middle order with a mountain to climb. Axar and Suryakumar Yadav tried their best, but the powerplay batting display drilled nails into the hosts' coffin early in the chase.