Group India had a forgettable night on Thursday after they lost to Sri Lanka in the second T20I in Pune. Pursuing 207 runs, the Hardik Pandya-drove side missed the mark concerning 16 runs as the three-match series is presently evened out at 1-1. Notwithstanding confronting a loss, the Indian fans will value the quickfire from all-rounder Axar Patel, which took Group India nearly triumph. In the pursuit of the mammoth objective, India lost five wickets with only 57 sudden spikes in demand for the board. It was then Axar (65), who sewed a 91-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (51) and carried another life into the game. Notwithstanding, their endeavors went into vain as Sri Lanka got their keep down and Group India was confined at 190/8.
Axar, who likewise scalped two wickets in the match, has been getting a ton of commendation from the fans and previous cricketers for his extraordinary presentation. Previous India player Wasim Jaffer expressed that in the event that Axar continues performing like this, he can without much of a stretch fill-in the shoes of star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has been absent from the activity after he got a physical issue in Asia Cup 2022.
India are not missing Jadeja, who has been an extraordinary player in every one of the three configurations. Yet, since India have found Axar Patel, we are not going on and on about Jadeja since he’s been away. Proceeds to show how great Axar has happened as a cricketer. Phenomenal. Right now, yes (Axar is India’s No.1 turn all-rounder). India are fortunate they have such a like-for-like substitution (for Jadeja) in Axar Patel. He’s capitalizing on it in all arrangements. He can bowl in the powerplay, which I feel Jadeja could do without. Axar can make it happen.
Furthermore, In the event that he bats like this, it’s easy to refute,” expressed Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.
India had a terrible beginning to their pursuit drooping to 57 for 5 preceding Axar (65 off 31) and Surya (51 off 36) raised any expectations of an unrealistic success with a glimmering 6th wicket stand.
The assignment became extreme once Surya withdrew in the sixteenth over, however Axar and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) shared fast 41 hurries to cut down the situation to 21 off the last finished.
Yet, Axar’s excusal in the third chunk of the last over was the last nail in the final resting place for India.
Both the groups will currently face each other in the third and last T20I match on Saturday in Rajkot.
