Arshdeep Singh's no-balls and the top order let the Indian cricket team down in the second T20I, as the Hardik Pandya-led young brigade suffered a 16-run loss against Sri Lanka at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Thursday (January 5).
However, Arshdeep (0/37 in 2 overs) was the big attraction for the wrong reason, with the young pacer bowling five no-balls, most by any Indian bowler in Men's T20Is, as Sri Lanka went on to post 206 runs on the board, with the hosts falling short by 16 runs in the second T20I in Pune.
After the ongoing three-match T20I was poised at 1-1 on Thursday, India’s stand-in captain, Hardik Pandya, said that he was not going to blame Arshdeep for the loss, but bowling no-ball in any format is a crime. Notably, India conceded a total of 7 no-balls and gave away plenty of runs through free hits in the match.
Hardik Pandya said in the post-match presentation: “For Arshdeep, in this situation, it is very difficult. It is not about blaming him or to be too hard on him, but we know no-balls in any format is a crime.”
He added, “In bowling and batting, the powerplay hurt us. We made some basic errors, which we shouldn't be making at this level. Everyone knows what it is, the learning for us is we should be focusing on what we can control. You can have a good day, you can have a bad day, but you shouldn't be moving away from the basics.”
The stand-in skipper also revealed why the debutant Rahul Tripathi (5) was sent to bat ahead of Suryakumar Yadav at number three against Sri Lanka in the second T20I. Pandya signed off by saying, “Rahul is accustomed to playing at no. 3, and, if someone comes in, we want to give them a role they are comfortable with. That's why he batted at No. 3.”
(With Star Sports Inputs)
