India😎 Vs Sri Lanka🏏2nd T20

IND vs SL 2nd T20 Highlights: Dasun Shanaka held his nerve in the final over as Sri Lanka restricted India to win the second Twenty20 by 16 runs on Thursday. With 21 runs needed off six balls, Shanaka conceded only four as India was held to 190-8. Axar Patel smacked 65 off 31 balls to help India recover from 57-5, while Suryakumar Yadav scored 51 off 36 balls. That was after Shanaka smashed 56 not out off 22 balls as Sri Lanka notched up 206-6.The three-match series is now level 1-1 after India won the first game in Mumbai by two runs.

Set a record total, India went hard early but the approach backfired after yet another top-order collapse. Kasun Rajitha starred as Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill were dismissed in just the second over of the innings. Rahul Tripathi, making his debut, got off the mark with a boundary but was sent packing by Madushanka. Hardik Pandya played a couple of attacking strokes before being dismissed by Chamika Karunaratne.

India were 34/4 when Deepak Hooda walked into bat. The hosts mellowed down and played out overs before Hooda miscued a pull off Hasaranga to Dhananjaya de Silva. Axar Patel walked into bat and India were 64/5 at the halfway stage, needing well over 14 runs an over. The left-hander unleashed an array of strikes, picking up boundaries at will.

Suryakumar Yadav, who knocked it around until that moment also began playing his trademark shots. The Men in Blue needed 109 to win off 42 balls when Axar launched a hat-trick of sixes off Hasaranga to launch India’s comeback. India picked up 26 from the over as Suryakumar also got one over the ropes in style. Axar, who scored a career-high 31 in the last game, went past that in style and registered in maiden 50 in just 20 balls. Surya reached his milestone in 33 deliveries. India seemed to be gaining the edge only for Madushanka to get Surya out for 51.

Earlier, captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field first again stumping the experts’ view. On a ground that favours teams batting first, SriLanka got off to a flyer aided by Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi overstepping. Arshdeep bowled a hat-trick of no-balls as Kusal Mendis got his eye in. While Nissanka struggled, Mendis played his array of shots hitting the Indian pacers to all parts of the ground. Arshdeep went for 19, Mavi conceded 24 off his first two overs while Umran was not welcome. Kusal got to his fifty off just 27 balls as SriLanka piled on 80 in the first 8 overs.

Charith Asalanka set the bowl rolling with four sixes as Dasun Shanaka got his eye in. Umran got Asalanka and Hasaranga off consecutive balls. However, Shanaka piled on the runs at the death once again. Arshdeep Singh had the Sri Lanka captain caught, but it was deemed to be another no-ball.

The left-arm pacer bowled 5 no balls, an unwanted record, on a forgettable day at the office. Mavi conceded 20 off the last over as SL got to 206/6. Shanaka reached his fifty in 20 balls, the fastest ever by a SriLankan. The skipper’s efforts saw the Lankans break their 12-game losing streak against India in India. This was India’s first loss in 2023😢. Arshdeep, the leader of India’s attack this series, seemed to lose his captain’s trust after that over and he wasn’t summoned again until the 19th over despite death bowling being his strength.

As a result, Umran Malik bowled the 18th over, which is not his comfort zone. He is yet to master the yorker, which means his biggest strength – express pace – becomes a weakness at the death as batters throw their bats around. Malik leaked 21 in that over. Arshdeep’s five front foot no-balls are the most for any bowler in a T20I for India. Malik and Shivam Mavi also bowled a no-ball each, taking India’s tally to seven – no Full Member team has bowled so many in a T20I. In the end, the balls that didn’t count were the ones that really counted. The no-ball penalties and free hits cost India 27 runs. Their margin of defeat was 16.

Arshdeep was returning from an illness that made him miss the first T20I. With not much time to practice between the first two games, it’s possible he was rusty. However, overstepping has been an issue with him since his international debut. Since 2022, Arshdeep has bowled 14 front-foot no-balls in T20Is. Blessing Muzarabani is a distant second with five. It’s not about blaming but it is simple cricket. In world cricket, or any T20 cricket you play, no-ball is a crime. Not to be too hard on him but at the same time he needs to go back and see that these are the basic errors which he should not be making at this level.