Sri Lanka, on Thursday, defeated India in the second contest of the ongoing three-match series in Pune. Put in to bat first, the Islanders set a mammoth total of 206/6 in their stipulated 20 overs. In reply, India could manage 190 for the loss of 8 wickets, losing the game by 16 runs.
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis scored 52 (31), while their skipper Dasun Shanaka played a quick-fire knock of 56 off 22 balls.
Left-arm Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, who missed the first game and was making a comeback after an injury, bowled 5 no-balls, out of which three were bowled consecutively in the very first over of the match. Arshdeep also created an embarrassing feat of becoming the first Indian bowler to deliver three no-balls in a row. Meanwhile, Shivam Mavi and Umran Malik bowled one no-ball each.
Indian skipper Hardik Pandya seemed unhappy with his team’s performance, and in the post-match presentation threw light on the reason for the loss.
“We didn’t do the basics right. I am not putting all the blame on Arshdeep Singh but bowling no-balls is a crime. The bowling and batting powerplays didn’t go our way. We have to look forward and work on things which are in our control. Anyone can have a bad or good day but you can’t move away from the basics,” said Pandya.
While chasing, India lost their top-order batters quite early but were kept alive in the contest by their vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Axar Patel who scored 51 and 65 runs, respectively. With Patel’s dismissal in the final over, India’s hopes came to an end.
For Sri Lanka, it was a series-levelling win. The decider is scheduled to be played in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7.
