Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav heroics go in vain as Sri Lanka beat India by 16 runs to level series

Pune, January 5

Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel struck blistering fifties in a stunning 91-run stand, albeit in a losing cause as Sri Lanka tightened the screws in the nick of time to beat India by 16 runs in the second T20I and level the three-match series 1-1 here today.

Skipper Dasun Shanaka made a rearguard unbeaten 56 off 22 balls after opener Kusal Mendis hit a 31-ball 52 to power Sri Lanka to an imposing 206/6.

India had a nightmarish start to their chase, slumping to 57/5, before Axar (65 off 31) and Suryakumar (51 off 36) raised hopes of an improbable win with a scintillating sixth-wicket stand.

The task became tough once Suryakumar departed in the 16th over, but Axar and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) shared quick 41 runs to bring down the equation to 21 off the last over.

But Axar’s dismissal off the third ball of the final over was the last nail in the coffin for India.

Earlier, it was a disastrous performance from the Indian bowlers as the Lankan batters went hammer and tongs from the onset. Barring Axar (2/24), all the Indian bowlers went for runs.

Even though speedster Umar Malik picked up three wickets, he too was taken to the cleaners. Last match’s hero Mavi (0/53) looked a pale shadow of himself.

Arshdeep Singh conceded 37 runs off two overs and bowled five no balls.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 206/6 (Shanaka 56*, Kusal 53; Malik 3/48, Axar 2/24); India 190/8 (Axar 65, Suryakumar 51; Shanaka 2/4, Rajitha 2/22).