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Returning after an illness-induced layoff, the left-arm seamer bowled five no-balls, the most by any bowler in a match in the history of T20Is, in the second game in Pune.
With Shivam Mavi and Umran Malik too delivering a no-ball each, India ended up bowling seven noballs. The resultant free-hit ‘freebies’ played a huge factor in Sri Lanka winning a high-scoring game by 16 runs to level the series on Thursday.
A long-term solution to the no-ball malaise is going back to domestic cricket and practising hard, something which former India opener-turned commentator Gautam Gambhir felt should have been done with Arshdeep.
Arshdeep he was returning from an illness-induced break (he had high fever) after the New Zealand tour. In a series where there are hardly any rest days before games, there’s no time for a player to go back to the nets and rectify errors that creep in.
In such circumstances, skipper Hardik Pandya, who was critical of Arshdeep’s profligacy, might be tempted to throw a debut to Bengal’s young pacer Mukesh Kumar, or go back to Harshal Patel, who was dropped after he took 2-41 in 4 overs in the opening game at the Wankhede Stadium, which India managed to win, but by just two runs.
The captain would perhaps be encouraged by the success Mavi has found in this series.
Mavi bagged 4/22 on debut and then hit a useful 15-ball 26 in the second game while batting at No. 8. Mukesh, who has picked up 25 wickets in 23 T20 games, was last month picked up for Rs 5.5 crore in the IPL auction by Delhi Capitals.
India have a few things to sort out in their batting too. It will be interesting to see if they stick to the talented Shubman Gill even after his twin failures (7 & 5), or give a deserved recall to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was on a dream run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (One-dayers), reeling off five hundreds for Maharashtra.
On a brighter note, India will be heartened by the fact that they have discovered a world-class allrounder in Axar Patel, who can win a match either with the ball or bat. While the left-arm spinner’s bowling skills always made him a certainty in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, what has made him more valuable as a player is that he is finally beginning to realise his potential with the bat at the international level now.
On Tuesday, on a belter of a track at the MCA Stadium in Pune, which is traditionally a graveyard for the spinners, Axar took 2-21 in 4 overs.
Later in the night, walking in with India at dire straits at 57/5 in the 10th over, Axar blasted 65 off 31 balls, almost taking India to a miraculous win along with Suryakumar Yadav.
In the first game, his unbeaten 31-run cameo played a vital role in India’s win. In the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong, batting at No. 4, he scored 34 as India chased down 145 on a turning track.
Not many had given Lanka a chance, but now they have a realistic shot at beating India in India.
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