Team India was expected to bounce back in the final T20I against Sri Lanka after losing the second game of the three-match series. That wasn’t the case on Thursday during the series decider. India managed to get only 81 runs on board in 20 overs and broke several records in the process.
Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bat first. Navdeep Saini was replaced by debutant Sandeep Warrier for this game. India, yet again, were going in the game with five batsmen and six bowlers.
Also Read: Aakash Chopra backs two batsmen to pillar India’s batting in series decider
Winning the toss was the only positive for Team India as what unfolded afterwards was absolutely shocking. Shikhar Dhawan got out for a golden duck in the all-important game. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devdutt Padikkal tried to well sensibly in the powerplay but Sri Lankan spinners had some other ideas.
Ramesh Mendis caught Padikkal leg before the wickets before Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack. Hasaranga, bowling the first over on his birthday, jolted Indian innings with two wickets in an over. Sanju Samson got out for a duck before Gaikwad followed him back in the pavilion two balls later.
Hasaranga didn’t stop here and came back to dismiss Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s stubborn resistance of 16 runs in 32 balls. He finished his spell with the wicket of Varun Chakravarthy and his figures read 4/9 in four overs.
Also Read: Aakash Chopra opens up on Sri Lanka’s celebration after winning 2nd T20I
Kuldeep Yadav hung his bat through and top-scored with 28-ball 23 runs where he couldn’t touch the boundary rope even once. India’s misery with the bat ended with 81 runs on board while they lost only 8 wickets in 20 overs. Dasun Shanaka managed two wickets as well while Dushmantha Chameera took one.
Twitter was in total meltdown after seeing this embarrassing batting display by Team India. Here are some of those tweets;
Mood right now 🙂 #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/95nA9Ypp3h
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) July 29, 2021
No Full Member team batting first in a T20I batted out their entire 20 overs scoring fewer runs than India's 81/8 tonight.
Previous lowest: 93/8 by Zim vs SA, Hambantota, 2012#SLvIND
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) July 29, 2021
India's 81/8 is now the second-lowest restricted total, for a Test side without being dismissed, while playing their full quota of 20 overs in T20I cricket history.
The record: West Indies restricted to 79/7 (20 ov) against Zimbabwe at POS in Feb 2010#SLvIND #INDvsSL #IndvSL— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 29, 2021
Best T20I figures on birthday
4/9 W Hasaranga v Ind Colombo (29 Jul 2021) *
4/21 Imran Tahir v Net Chittagong (27 Mar 2014)
3/23 Yuvraj v SL Mohali (12 Dec 2009)* Full Member teams only #SLvIND
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) July 29, 2021
No excuses. If you belong, you show you do #IndvsSL
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) July 29, 2021
kuldeep thought this trip would help revive his bowling career, wouldn't have thought he'd be needed to bat at 7! #SLvIND
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) July 29, 2021
Sanju Samson vs spin since his comeback last year
Seven innings
45 balls
51 runs
Six outs (Hasaranga 3, Swepson 2, Dananjaya 1)Credit to SL, since his first ball dismissal to Hasaranga in the 1st T20I, Samson only faced spin in his further 16 balls in the series.#SLvIND
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) July 29, 2021
India's 6 & 7 were just hanging in there. Tells you how dire things are
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 29, 2021
Covid-19 strategy:
If cricketers hang out together on tour, make sure there are no more than two batters per group.
Squads will have net bowlers, so there will be enough bowlers.
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) July 29, 2021
Under Shastri 15/1 to 36/10
Under Dravid 15/1 to 81/8 https://t.co/06anMLpwbz— arfan (@Im__Arfan) July 29, 2021
https://twitter.com/deeputalks/status/1420775105097998339
Indian fans always had a complain that tail don't score and this time we should thank tail.
— Bhawana (@bhawnakohli5) July 29, 2021
