India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I - Live Cricket Score

India and Sri Lanka will play the second T20I of the three-match series on Thursday (January 5) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The first game went to the wire as India defeated Sri Lanka by a mere margin of two runs. The Indian batters tried playing attacking cricket, but the wickets kept falling. By the end of the 15th over, India had lost five wickets and managed to post just 101 runs. The duo of Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel added 68 runs for the sixth wicket, which helped India post 162 runs on the board. Apart from Kasun Rajitha, Sri Lankan bowlers picked one wicket each, and the spinners played a key role.

Sri Lanka lost two wickets before the completion of the powerplay, and by the end of the 11th over, half of the team was back in the pavilion. The lower middle order consisting of Dasun Shanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Chamika Karunaratne rescued the sinking ship. Sri Lanka required 13 runs in the last over to win. Karunaratne managed to hit a six on the third delivery to bring down the required runs to just five runs. However, Axar Patel gave just two runs on the last three balls to take the team home.

Both teams had their own issues in the first game, which they will look to address in the upcoming matches. The inability of the Sri Lankan middle order to score runs is the biggest concern. Also, the pace attack looked inexperienced, and the spinners saved the day for the team. The Indian team is again facing the same concerns they have been dealing with in the last few years. The team needs a proper finisher, and the management is still trying to portray a middle-order batter as the finisher. Spinners have also failed to restrict the run flow and pick wickets in the middle overs, which we saw in the previous game. The inexperienced pace attack lacked the X-factor in the absence of Arshdeep Singh. The team that can solve most of these issues will likely cross the line in the upcoming game.