"Surya and Axar almost took the game away from us" - Dasun Shanaka on Sri Lanka's win in the 2nd T20I

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted that his side almost let the second T20I slip away from their hands after Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel's fightback during the run chase. The pair scored their respective fifties, but the knocks went in vain as the visitors recorded their first T20I win on Indian soil since 2016.

Shanaka led from the front and was adjudged the Player of the Match for his exploits. He recorded the fastest-ever T20I fifty by a Sri Lankan player by reaching his half-century in just 20 balls.

The captain's pyrotechnics in the death overs propelled his side to post a mammoth total of 206-6. He also conceded four runs in a tense final over, where he had to defend 21 runs for victory.

The match went down to the wire but it is Sri Lanka who won the second T20I by 16 runs.

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvSL-2023-2N…

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Stating that Suryakumar and Axar almost took the game away with their middle-order onslaught. Shanaka said during the post-match presentation:

"We could have done well in the middle overs. The game was set up by the openers and we had to make sure to keep that going in the middle order."

He continued:

"It's not the dew factor. It was the skill of the Indian batters. Suryakumar's batting was outstanding and so was Axar's. Surya and Axar almost took the game away from us. It's really good to defend a total against India. We know they are very good while chasing in any conditions."

Congratulations Skipper!

The fastest ever fifty by a Sri Lankan in T20Is. 🚀🚀🚀 @dasunshanaka1

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The all-rounder continued his good run of form against India with his record knock. He has scored 225 runs across his last five T20I innings against the Men in Blue.

Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel stitched together a 91-run partnership for the sixth wicket against Sri Lanka

Team India had a horrid start while attempting to chase down the total after losing four wickets inside the powerplay. Kasun Rajitha, who announced his arrival at the same venue in 2016, repeated his exploits (two wickets for 22 runs off four overs) while Dilshan Madushanka (two wickets) and Chamika Karunaratne (one wicket) played their parts as well.

With almost all hopes lost, Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel took on the spinners, hitting four sixes in the space of seven deliveries in the middle overs to bring some life back into the contest. However, Sri Lanka were able to hold their nerve to break the 91-run stand which came off just 40 deliveries.

The third T20I between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The series is up for grabs with the scoreline reading 1-1 after the Lankans clawed their way back into the series following a 16-run win in the second T20I on Thursday, January 5.

Is Dasun Shanaka among the most underrated T20 players in the world at the moment? Let us know what you think.

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