Images from the second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, on Thursday.
Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel struck blistering fifties in a stunning 91-run stand, albeit in a losing cause, as Sri Lanka tightened the screws in the nick of time to beat India by 16 runs in the second T20I and level the three-match series 1-1, in Pune, on Thursday.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 56 off 22 balls at the tail-end and wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis hit a 31-ball 52 to power Sri Lanka to an imposing 206 for 6.
India had a nightmarish start to their chase, slumping to 57 for 5 before Axar (65 off 31) and Surya (51 off 36) raised hopes of an improbable victory with a scintillating sixth-wicket stand.
The task became tough once Suryakumar departed in the 16th over, but Axar and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) shared quick 41 runs stand to bring down the equation to 21 off the last over.
However, Axar's dismissal off the third ball of the final over was the last straw in India’s fightback.
Chasing the huge total, India lost openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill in the second over to Kasun Rajitha.
If that was not enough, debutant Rahul Tripathi sneaked one to Kusal Mendis off Dilshan Madhushanaka in the 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 stabilise the innings with a hard-fought 23-run partnership but with the asking rate creeping up, the latter departed while going to a big shot, caught by Dhananjaya de Silva off Hasarnaga de Silva, as India lost half their side for 57.
Surya and Axar tried to up the ante with a sensational 91-run sixth-wicket partnership off just 40 balls to keep India afloat after a forgettable start.
Axar was particularly severe on off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana, clobbering the bowler for a four and six over long-on in the 13th over.
It was not just Theekshana; Hasaranga de Silva too had to bear the brunt of Axar's aggression as the left-hander smacked the bowler for a hat-trick of sixes in the 14th over.
Axar brought up his maiden fifty off just 20 balls with a six of Karunaratne over long-off.
Surya followed suit, registering another fine fifty with a six off over square-leg off Madhushanaka.
The duo raised hopes of a famous victory but it was not to be as the visitors pulled the strings just in time to level the series.
Earlier, electing to bowl, it was a disastrous performance by India's bowlers as the Lankan batters went hammer and tongs from the start. Barring Axar (2/24 from his four overs), all the other Indian bowlers went for runs.
Even though speedster Umar Malik (3/48) picked three wickets, he too was taken to the cleaners, while last match hero Shivam Mavi (0/53) looked a pale shadow of himself.
Arshdeep Singh conceded 19 runs of the second over, which included two back-to-back no-balls that yielded 17 runs -- a four and six besides the extra runs as Sri Lanka got off to a flier after being sent in to bat.
Skipper Hardik Pandya too went for 11 runs in his second over as Mendis top-edged one over deep third man.
Mavi, who picked up four wickets on his T20 debut in the last match, was also taken to the cleaners by Mendis in his opening over, which yielded 15 runs.
The spin duo of Axar and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/30) provided some respite for two overs before Pathum Nisanka (33) struck a four and then a mammoth six over deep midwicket off Patel to maintain the scoring rate.
Malik was introduced into the attack in the eighth over but he too went for 13 runs in his opening over.
India's first breakthrough came in the ninth over when Chahal had Mendis LBW after Hardik went for a successful review.
Sri Lanka suffered their second reverse off the first delivery of the next over when Malik beat Bhanuka Rajapaksa by pace and cleaned up his stumps.
Despite losing two wickets, Sri Lanka reached a healthy 89 at the half-way mark.
But Axar tasted success soon when he dismissed Nissanka, brilliantly caught by debutant Rahul Tripathy.
While Mavi had an off day at one end, Axar snared his second victim of the day in his next over in the form of Dhananjaya de Silva, caught by Deepak Hooda at long on.
But Charith Asalanka (37) was in ominous touch as he dispatched Chahal over deep midwicket off consecutive deliveries to keep up Sri Lanka's run-rate.
Aslanka then pulled a Malik short delivery over deep mid-wicket for another six but three balls later the pacer had the last laugh as he had the batter caught by Shubman Gill at the same position with a similar delivery in his next over.
Malik knocked off the timbers off Wanindu Hasaranga with a pacy delivery a ball later to put himself in line for a hat-trick.
But his hopes were dashed as Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka muscled the bowler over his head for a one bounce four.
To add salt to Malik's wounds, Shanaka top-edged the next ball over fine leg for a six.
It rained fours and sixes after that as Shanaka spared no Indian bowler.
