IND vs SL: India register their third-lowest total in T20Is

The Indian team recorded its third-lowest ever score in the shortest format of the game, in the series decider of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The visitors finished with a scoreline of 81 runs for the loss of eight wickets at a run rate of 4.05. The Men in Blue recorded their lowest score in T20Is in an encounter against Australia back in 2008, after being bowled out for 74. The second-lowest score was registered in a clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 against New Zealand, with the Indian team bowled out for 79 runs in 18.1 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav makes his presence felt

Kuldeep Yadav was the highest run-scorer with 23 runs off 28 deliveries, in an innings that did not comprise of a single boundary or six. The innings marked the first-ever instance of an India men side batting all 20 overs of a T20I inning, without smashing a single hit into the stands.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the second-highest run-getter with 16 runs off 32 deliveries, with his knock similarly lacking a single big hit. Bhuvneshwar has now recorded the lowest strike rate in a men’s T20I innings, which has witnessed a minimum of 15 runs being scored. His strike rate of 50 tops the charts, with Mohammad Hafeez’s 53.5 in an encounter against India back in 2012 on the second spot.

India record lowest ever score in T20Is at the halfway mark

The visitors earlier finished with a scoreline of 39 runs for the loss of five wickets at a run-rate of 3.9, at the end of 10 overs. This is their lowest ever score at the halfway mark. India’s five batters for the encounter Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana were dismissed cheaply, in a do-or-die match.

The batsmen failed to make their presence felt, following some tight bowling by the Sri Lankan bowling attack comprising of Dushmantha Chameera, Ramesh Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, skipper Dasun Shanaka. Dhawan was the first to depart, bagging a golden duck as Chameera struck early. The Team India skipper half-heartedly attempted to push at an away-angling length ball around the fifth stump zone. Dhawan’s bat caught the outside edge with Dhananjaya de Silva pulling off a catch at first slip. The Team India skipper is now the first-ever Indian captain to be dismissed for a first-ball duck in men’s T20Is.

Wanindu Hasaranga records a four-wicket haul

Padikkal who had been quite impressive in the second T20I, failed to communicate well with Gaikwad resulting in a needless run-out. The Bangalore-based batsman attempted to complete a non-existent single after the ball rolled to backward square leg. Gaikwad held his ground at the non-striker’s end, sending Padikkal back. However, he was caught short of the crease following an accurate throw to the striker’s end. Interestingly, Padikkal was adjudged LBW before the run-out, resulting in the mode of dismissal taking precedence. Mendis was credited for the wicket.

The next batsman to depart was Sanju Samson, with the cricketer dismissed plumb for a duck. Samson rocked back in his crease to flick a delivery from Wanindu Hasaranga against the turn, with the ball spinning past his outside edge. Gaikwad and Rana also departed soon after. Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers, recording figures of 4/9 on his birthday. Shanaka chipped in with two wickets with Chameera and Mendis accounting for a dismissal apiece.