The second T20I between India and Sri Lanka was played at the MCA stadium in Pune and saw the visitors come good and level the series 1-1 by winning the match by 16 runs.
Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first. Sri Lanka powered by 56 from captain Dasun Shanaka and 52 by Kusal Mendis with support from Charith Asalanka (37) and Pathum Nissanka (33), posted 206/6 in 20 overs.
Indian pacers were all over the place with Arshdeep bowling a total of 5 no-balls, giving 37 runs in his 2 overs. Umran Malik picked 3/48, while Akshar Patel took 2/24 for India.
In reply, Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka rattled the Indian top order reducing them to 34/4, with Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and debutant Rahul Tripathi falling for 2 runs and 5 runs each respectively. Hardik Pandya made 12 runs.
IND v SL 2023: Twitterati left in disbelief as Arshdeep Singh bowls 5 no balls in 2nd T20I in Pune
However, Suryakumar Yadav and Akshar Patel added 91 runs in 40 balls to bring India back into the game. Yadav made 51 in 36 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes. But Akshar brought his fifty up in just 20 balls and added 41 runs in 22 balls with Shivam Mavi, who made 26 in 15 balls.
However, he fell in the final over for 65 runs in 31 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes to his name.
But Sri Lanka held their nerves as India finished on 190/8 and lost the match by 16 runs. The series was leveled one all with the third T20I to be played in Rajkot on January 7.
The cricket fraternity was all praises for the effort by Indian batters, especially Akshar Patel on Twitter.
Here are the tweets:
