another high full toss, Mavi looks to hit hard, gets a thick edge to extra cover. And the series is now levelled
India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I at Pune, IND v SL, Jan 05 2023 - Ball by Ball Commentary
On that note, we bounce. On behalf of Ashish Pant and Thilak Rama, I say goodbye. So long.
11pm We are back for the post-match presentation.
Hardik Pandya, the losing captain, says, and I paraphrase: "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 focussing 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. 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. Rahul is accustomed to playing at no. 3, and someone coming in, we want to give them a role they are comfortable with. That's why he batted at No. 3."
Dasun Shanaka, the winning captain and the Player of the Match, says, and I paraphrase: "To be honest, we would have done better in the middle part because the openers set us up well. Surya and Axar were outstanding, but still we managed to hold our nerve. It's good to defend a total like this especially against India in Indian conditions."
10.42pm This is the thing about getting close. Now those seven no-balls stare you right in your face. India were gone for all money at 57 for 5, but Axar, Surya and Mavi brought them close. Not close enough.
The story of the day remains the no-balls. Arshdeep, on his comeback, bowled three in a row in his first over. Then bowled two more. One of them could have been a wicket. There were two more. It is one of those freakish things that caught on like a flu.
Shanka scored 56 off 22, then took two wickets in the final over. Will surely be the Player of the Match. Or will it be Axar: 2 for 24 and 65 off 31?
drills this full ball down to long-off but refuses the single
and now it is official. Malik gets just the single off this full ball
Umran Malik comes in. Three sixes needed
and that's the game. Shanaka, the last-over hero. This time with a full toss. Heartbreak for Axar. this is a high full toss, but just under the waist. It means it has cramped his swing of arms slightly. He still manages to hit it all the way to long-off. A couple of metres more on it, and it can be a six. But it isn't. Axar has to go
looks for the wide yorker, misses his length. Axar drives this hard and straight of deep cover, but not straight enugh to get four. Just the two
Over the wicket he stays
full ball, drilled down to long-off. Mavi's job is done
Unlike Pandya last match, Shanaka is not risking bowling spin in the last over. He is going to bowl it himself after having plundered the last over when he batted. Mavi, who bowled that last over, is on strike
Rajitha has frankly got away with quite a few mistakes in length this over. India now need 21
wide full toss, he smacks this back down the ground for four well straight of long-off
Axar can't give the strike to Mavi at the start of the next over. Unless he hits a six off this ball
nails the yorker now. Just the single to deep midwicket
Back to over three a ball
another full toss, but this is wide of his reach. Mavi tries to slice it hard, but is beaten
mis-hits a low full toss, but still manages to put it in the gap between long-on and deep midwicket. Rajitha has escaped on two of these deliveries
low full toss, hit straight down to long-on for one. Rajitha won't mind this so far: five off two
Axar has missed out. Half-volley just outside off, he swings hard, but doesn't get the elevation. Still gets two to deep cover
another wide. So big a wide that I am interested in checking if it landed on the cut strip. It did
goes for the wide yorker, overcooks it. Wide called
Now just 33 off 12. One over of spin or Shanaka to come. Sri Lanka go to Rajitha. Axar waves off the message from the dugout
Mavi has suddenly transformed from a tailender to a top-order batter. Picks the slower ball early, delays his swing, then gets under the half-volley and crashes it back over his head for a flat six. This is some match
this match refuses to die. Madushanka misses the yorker by a foot or so, and Mavi also goes deep in the crease to hit this over extra cover for a four
oh that sounds sweep. That's twice the three runs required per ball. Madushanka bowls the change-up and tries the bouncer. Mavi clears the front leg and swings a pull. Right out of the screws it goes for a 90 metre six
It's well over three runs a ball now
full and wide, Mavi tries a big hit, but doesn't move across. Beaten
Venkatesh: "Hope Hardik did not speak in Hindi when he was asking Washy to convey the message to Axar."
another yorker. Just can't get under it. Just the single to deep point
yorker, tailing in, right on the toe. Dot ball
Sri Lanka were 147 for 6 at this point. India have the dew too, but not the batting depth. Nor are Sri Lanka bowling no-balls. Madushanka to bowl out. Interesting
Over 20 • IND 190/8