3 positive and 2 negative takeaways from India's loss to Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I

Sri Lanka stormed back in style to hand India a 16-run defeat in the 2nd T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune on Thursday, January 5. The three-match rubber is now leveled at 1-1, with the decider to be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7.

Electing to field first, the hosts were subjected to a flying start by Kusal Mendis, before Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka belted 56 off 22 deliveries studded with six sixes. He remained unbeaten as the visitors powered their way to 206/6, which proved too hot to handle for India.

Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav struck quickfire half-centuries, with the former racking up 65 off just 31 deliveries. Eventually, though, the target was a steep one and Sri Lanka took the honors.

There were quite a few takeaways from India's loss to Sri Lanka, both positive and negative. We look at three positive and two negative takeaways from the game which add a layer of intrigue ahead of the series decider. First up are the three positives:

#1 Axar Patel's batting stocks continue to rise

Axar Patel played like a warrior 🔥

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Quite often, the absence of Ravindra Jadeja due to injury has left a gaping hole in the Indian setup. The manner in which Axar has stepped up with the bat in the last year or so, however, has been a massive shot in the arm for the Men in Blue.

His numbers in the IPL have shot up, as seen in his average of 45.50 and strike rate of 151.66 last season. While his bowling in white-ball cricket has been up and down in recent times, there is no denying the quality he brings on that front.

Axar has become an effortless spin basher, and it was reflected in how he tore into Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana in Pune. With spin-friendly conditions expected in the next T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, he is staking a claim to start in India's XI in some style.

#2 India fight despite being down in the dumps

Despite preaching a cavalier batting approach ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2022, India were heavily reliant on Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli to do the bulk of the heavy lifting. Suryakumar looked rusty for large swathes of his stay on Thursday, though, with the hosts having to chase a mammoth total.

Having said that, these two T20Is against Sri Lanka have showcased that this current crop of players is ready to take a tough situation head-on. Deepak Hooda and Axar did the needful in the first T20I, while Suryakumar and Shivam Mavi assisted Axar last night.

The hosts were 57/5 at one stage and looked nowhere close to catching up with the asking rate. That they still managed to run the game as close as they did is testament to the fight shown in the 2nd T20I, and that's the character that will define how they proceed.

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal shows better control

Decision overturned!

@yuzi_chahal gets the all important breakthrough for #TeamIndia as Kusal Mendis departs!

Follow the match ▶️ bit.ly/INDvSL-2023-2N………

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Yuzvendra Chahal's numbers have taken a massive dip in the last couple of years and he was also left out of the playing XI at the T20 World Cup a couple of months ago. His fortunes didn't take a turn for the better in New Zealand and he looked out of sorts in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka as well.

However, the manner in which he bowled with better control and hit the right lengths in Pune would have pleased the Indian team management. He has been backed to the hilt, and a performance of a similar ilk to Thursday's is what they would expect on a regular basis.

While he lost his radar in his final over with Charith Asalanka tearing into him, his spell was still a good one overall. Time will tell if it was an outlier or the start of a turnaround in Chahal's fortunes for good.

While these were the three positives from India's defeat to Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I, there were a couple of worrying factors too. Here's a look at the two negative takeaways from that defeat:

#1 Arshdeep Singh's no-ball conundrum

Arshdeep Singh on top of an unwanted record 👀

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Arshdeep Singh overstepping as many as five times stuck out like a sore thumb on Thursday. Returning from illness, the left-arm seamer endured a wretched outing where he sent down just two overs and bled 37 runs across them.

Skipper Hardik Pandya didn't hold back in the post-match presentation and acknowledged Arshdeep's problem with the front foot. Having debuted for India just six months ago, Arshdeep already holds the dubious record for the most no-balls in men's T20Is.

He remains a fine bowler across phases and is bound to bounce back from the bad day he endured against Sri Lanka on Thursday. Having said that, Arshdeep's constant tendency to overstep is something he must correct in due course of time.

#2 Shubman Gill endures another failure

Congratulations to @ShubmanGill & @ShivamMavi23 who are all set to make their T20I debut for #TeamIndia 🇮🇳👌

Live - bit.ly/INDvSL-2023-1S… #INDvSL
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Shubman Gill has played just two T20Is thus far, having debuted in the series opener against Sri Lanka. Yet, with the kind of competition there is for spots, time isn't really the biggest luxury on hand.

Attempting his favored short-arm jab, he lobbed one down the throat of mid-on and mustered just five runs in Pune. He should get to play the series decider in Rajkot, although another low score could just complicate matters for him.

Sanju Samson should return once he recovers from injury and Ruturaj Gaikwad is waiting in the wings. Rahul Tripathi has just made his debut and can open the innings himself, so the 3rd T20I will be a crucial one for Gill. Not only in terms of establishing himself in the Indian T20 setup, but also in terms of boosting his confidence ahead of the ODIs, where he finds himself in a shootout with Ishan Kishan for the second opener's spot.

Which way will the final T20I between India and Sri Lanka head? Let us know in the comments section below!

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