On 5 January 2023, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Axar Patel's 65 off 31 vs Sri Lanka in Pune was the innings of a chase India did not win. Sri Lanka made 206 for 6. India finished on 190 for 8. Sri Lanka won the second T20I by 16 runs.
Key figures
Batting: 65 off 31 balls, 3 fours, 6 sixes, strike rate 209.67. The fifty came off 20 balls. Bowling: 4 overs, 0 maidens, 24 runs, 2 wickets, economy 6.00. He was out in the last over.
Match Overview
Sri Lanka batted first in the night match and closed on 206 for 6. Kusal Mendis made 52 off 31 and Dasun Shanaka 56 not out off 22. Seven no-balls in that innings added to the total. India were set 207.
The chase was in trouble early. ESPNcricinfo's report has India 64 for 5 after 10 overs, with the required rate often near 15. Axar came in at No. 7, after Deepak Hooda, with Suryakumar Yadav still there.
Axar Patel's 65 off 31 vs Sri Lanka
From that hole, he and Suryakumar took the bowling on. Axar's fifty arrived off 20 balls. He finished on 65 off 31, with 3 fours and 6 sixes, the highest score of the India innings. Suryakumar made 51 off 36.
It was still a chase, not a rescue that got home. Shanaka bowled the 20th over and conceded 4 runs while taking two wickets. Axar was caught by Chamika Karunaratne off a full toss. The shot went to long-off and fell short of the rope. India ended 190 for 8, 16 runs short.
Bowling spell
Earlier, Axar's 4 overs cost 24 and brought two wickets. Pathum Nissanka was caught by Rahul Tripathi for 33 off 35. Dhananjaya de Silva was caught by Deepak Hooda for 3 off 6. The economy was 6.00 in an innings that still reached 206.
Kusal Mendis and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were out in the same innings, but not to Axar. Mendis was lbw to Yuzvendra Chahal for 52. Rajapaksa was bowled by Umran Malik for 2.
Context and impact
The 65 did not change the result. It changed the shape of a lost chase: from 64 for 5 after 10 overs to a finish that still needed the last over. Shanaka's 56 not out, and the two wickets in that final over, were what kept Sri Lanka in the series.
Scorecard
Scorecard: India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (MCA Stadium), Pune, 5 January 2023 (ESPNcricinfo). The same match sits in the BCCI international record for the Sri Lanka tour of India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Axar Patel score against Sri Lanka in Pune? He made 65 off 31 balls, with 3 fours and 6 sixes, at a strike rate of 209.67. The fifty took 20 balls. India lost.
Did India win the second T20I on 5 January 2023? No. Sri Lanka made 206 for 6 and India 190 for 8. Sri Lanka won by 16 runs.
Who did Axar Patel dismiss in that match? Pathum Nissanka, caught by Rahul Tripathi, and Dhananjaya de Silva, caught by Deepak Hooda. His figures were 4-0-24-2.
How did Axar Patel get out? Chamika Karunaratne caught him off Dasun Shanaka in the 20th over. It was a full toss hit toward long-off, and it did not clear the rope.
Was the 65 enough to win the chase? No. India still finished 16 runs behind Sri Lanka's total. The innings was the fight in a defeat, not the winning hand.
By Axarpatel.com Editorial Desk • Curated by NK