Finance
Axar Patel’s brilliant half-century and blazing 91-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (51) were in vain as India failed to recover from early setbacks and lost by 16 runs to Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the three-match series at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium on Thursday.
Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) dragged India from a precarious position when they needed 20 off the final six deliveries.
However, the task proved too difficult for Gujarat’s batter, who produced some spectacular shots, including three sixes off successive deliveries in the 14th over. Dasun Shanaka got him out in the final over as India’s hopes ended.
After losing four wickets for 34 runs, India was 57/5 in the 10th over before Yadav and Patel combined for a 91-run partnership that had the 30,460 spectators rocking and cheering.
However, it was too good to last as they were limited to 190/8, falling short by 16 runs as Sri Lanka leveled the three-match series 1-1.
India’s chase appeared doomed after losing four wickets in the first five overs with only 35 runs on the board.
Rajitha’s superb in-swinger did in Ishan Kishan (2) as he swung at one pitched wide and the ball sneaked in to hit the stumps. Gill attempted a nothing-shot, trying to drive one that pitched outside off, edging behind to Mendis.
Rahul Tripathi, making his debut, faced an eventful five balls in the middle. On the third ball of the second over, he squared Rajitha between point and cover for a four, but was hit on the helmet by the next ball, the delivery rearing up from short-of-length and racing off for four leg-byes.
On the first ball of the next over, he was out to Madushanka as the ball swung in from just outside off and took an edge off Tripathi’s bat to Kusal Mendis behind the stumps.
And when India’s skipper Hardik Pandya was out for 12 after a charming stay at the wicket during which he struck a four (off Madushanka) and a six off Karunaratne, only Suryakumar Yadav could save them.
Suryakumar, who had survived a clear run-out opportunity, used his customary 360-degree play and, after Deepak Hooda was out for 9, found an able ally in Axar Patel as they reached the innings’ hundred.
Patel hammered Wanindu Hasaranga for a hat-trick of sixes in the 14th over, and with Suryakumar Yadav adding a six, Sri Lanka lost the over by 26 runs. They scored 15 runs off the next over, totaling 6 sixes in two overs as Axar Patel blazed to a half-century off 20 balls, hitting two fours and six sixes.
Suryakumar Yadav’s fifty off 33 balls appeared sedate, but the carnage was too good to last, as Yadav died trying for a big one off Madushanka, failing to pick the slower one and mis-hitting it to Dhananjay de Silva at long-on.
With 57 required off four overs and Yadav back in the dugout, the task was daunting. Off the last three deliveries of the 18th over, Shivam Mavi struck Madushanka for 6-4-6, reducing the equation to 33 off 12.
Source:OCN
