captain Dasun Shanaka An all-round performance by scoring an unbeaten 56 in the first 22 balls and then 21 in the last over to take his team home in a do-or-die encounter.
Along with Dasun, wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis scored 52 off 31 balls to help Sri Lanka post 206 for 6.
India give it their all but Sri Lanka level the series with a win in a high-scoring game in Pune 👏… https://t.co/97lvAwFFn6
– ICC (@ICC) 1672938834000
India made a nightmare start to the chase at 57 for 5 before Axar and Surya raised hopes of an improbable victory with a brilliant sixth-wicket partnership.
The task became tough after Surya’s departure in the 16th over, but Axar and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) shared a 41-run partnership to bring the equation down to 21 in the last over.
But Akshar’s dismissal on the third ball of the final over was the last nail in the coffin for India.
Chasing the total, India lost opener Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill in the second over to Kasun Rajitha.
If this was not enough, Rahul Tripathi dismissed Kusal Mendis off Dilshan Madhushanaka in the very next over, before skipper Hardik Pandya departed an over later as India slumped to 34 for 4 in 4.4 overs .
Surya and Deepak Hooda tried to stabilize the innings with a hard-working partnership of 23 runs, but with the asking rate rising, the latter went in search of a big shot, Dhananjaya de Silva off Hasarnaga de Silva. Caught by, as India lost half a wicket. his side for 57.
Surya and Akshar put on a sensational 91-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just 40 balls to keep India alive after a poor start.
Axar was particularly severe on off-spinner Mahesh Thikshana, hitting the bowler for a four and a six over long-on in the 13th over.
Not only Tikshana, Hasaranga de Silva also bore the brunt of Axar’s aggression as the left-handed batsman hit the bowler for a hat-trick of sixes in the 14th over.
Akshar brought up his maiden half-century in just 20 balls with a six off Karunaratne over long-off.
Surya followed suit, registering another fine half-century with a six over square-leg off Madhushanaka.
Both raised hopes of a famous victory but it did not happen as the visitors pulled the strings in time to level the series.
Earlier, it was a disastrous performance from the Indian bowlers after electing to field as the Sri Lankan batsmen went on the offensive from the outset. Barring Axar (2/24 in his 4 overs), all other Indian bowlers went for runs.
Even though pacer Umar Malik (3/48) picked up three wickets, he too was clean bowled, while last match’s hero Mavi (0/53) looked in his shadow.
Arshdeep Singh conceded 19 runs in the second over, including two back-to-back no balls, which yielded 17 runs.
Hardik also conceded 11 runs in his second over and Mendis took one over deep third man.
Mavi was also clean bowled by Mendis in his opening over, conceding 15 runs.
The spin duo of Akshar and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/30) provided relief for two overs before Pathum Nissanka (33) hit a boundary over deep midwicket and then a massive six. India’s first breakthrough came in the ninth over when Chahal trapped Mendis lbw after a successful review by Hardik.
Sri Lanka’s second blow came on the first ball of the next over when Malik beat Bhanuka Rajapaksa swiftly and cleared his stumps.
Sri Lanka reached a healthy score of 89 at the halfway stage despite the loss of two wickets.
But Akshar soon tasted success when he dismissed Nissanka at the hands of Tripathi. He claimed his second victim of the day in his next over when Dhananjaya de Silva was caught by Hooda at long-on.
Charith Aslanka (37) looked in ominous mood as he dismissed Chahal over deep midwicket off successive deliveries.
Aslanka then hammered Malik’s short delivery for another six, but three balls later the pacer had the last laugh as he got the batsman caught by Gill off a similar delivery in his next over.
Malik bowled a flamboyant delivery off Wanindu Hasaranga and the latter stood up to hat-trick chances.
But it was not Malik’s day as Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed the bowler over his head for a bounced four.