The second T20I at Indore against Sri Lanka was a comeback match for Jasprit Bumrah after injury. Having come through the ranks in the shortest format of the game, it was an ideal chance for Bumrah to warm himself up before the ODIs against Australia and subsequently the New Zealand tour.

Instead, Bumrah went for 32 runs in his four overs with just one wicket to his tally. He was the second-most expensive bowler on the day and looked a far cry from the threatening T20 bowler we know him to be. Could it be that he was warming up after the injury? Maybe, but stats say that Bumrah's record against Sri Lanka in this format isn't the most impressive.

Read | IND v SL, 2nd T20I: Iyer's blitz, Saini's spell and other talking points

Bumrah has seven wickets in eight innings against Sri Lanka with an average of 24.85 and a strike rate of 23.1. Both the average and strike rate are the second-worst for him against any team in the shortest format of the game.

Among Indian bowlers to have bowled over 20 overs against Sri Lanka in the shortest format of the game, Bumrah has the third-worst average after Ravindra Jadeja (3 wickets in 7 innings) and Ashish Nehra (8 wickets in 7 innings).

Bumrah has bowled 27 overs against Sri Lanka and while he has been economical - an economy of 6.44 - the average and strike rate show that he hasn't been as successful as India would have liked him to be.

His strike rate of 23.1 is the second-worst by him against any team after Bangladesh against whom he has bowled in only three innings. For Indian T20 bowlers against Sri Lanka, this strike rate is the second-worst after Ravindra Jadeja's 44 (minimum 20 overs bowled).

With his one wicket at Indore, Bumrah equalled Ravichandran Ashwin as the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is with 52 wickets in 43 innings. The next wicket he takes would make him the highest wicket-taker for India in the format.

However, Bumrah hasn't been the most penetrative against Sri Lanka as the stats have shown. Australia, against whom, he has a poor economy, have shown that attacking Bumrah in the powerplay works. Sri Lanka seem to be thriving on that template. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

India swept the series against Sri Lanka 2-0 with a comprehensive 78-run win at Pune with batsmen and bowlers making equally impressive contributions. Navdeep Saini's three-wicket haul and half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul helped India to their second win in the series. Here we discuss the talking points from the final game of the series.

Rahul - Dhawan heating up

KL Rahul against Shikhar Dhawan is now getting fiery after another half-century opening stand at Pune in the final T20I. After a 71-run association at Indore, Rahul and Dhawan put on 97 for the opening wicket, the third successive time in the format that India made a 50-plus opening stand. Facing exactly 36 balls apiece, Rahul and Dhawan made 54 and 52 runs respectively, making the competition between the two tighter than ever before.

Read | IND v SL, 2nd T20I: Iyer's blitz, Saini's spell and other talking points

Sanju Samson's wait, thrill and despair

Sanju Samson last played for India in July 2015, but having been in and around the Indian sides in the past few months, the Kerala wicket-keeper seemed ready to step up at the first opportunity. Walking in at no 3 behind the openers, Samson went downtown first ball, heaving Lakshan Sandakan over long-off for a maximum to announce his return to international cricket. However, his fortune turned into despair pretty soon as Wanidu Hasaranga had him trapped in front next over off the very next delivery he faced. Ironically, he was playing in place of Rishabh Pant who is often accused of doing exactly this. 

Virat Kohli at no 6

Ever seen that before? Not in the recent past at least. Virat Kohli walked in behind Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer in the game at Pune as India tried to give opportunities to the two players who had been resigned to the bench for a large part of the last year. While Samson could not grab his chance, Manish once again played a decent hand with an 18-ball 31 from no 4. With Iyer also dismissed soon, Kohli walked in at no 6 and true to his reputation as a consistent T20 batter, made 26 in 17 balls before he was run out in the 18th over.

Shardul Thakur at it again

Remember Shardul Thakur's outstanding cameo against West Indies last month? In the ODI series decider, the tail-ender made a telling contribution with a 6-ball 17 to help India win the series. In the first T20I against Sri Lanka, Thakur went on to grab three wickets in one over to cap off another pretty good performance for India. Here at Pune, Thakur was at it again for India. The Mumbai lower-order batsman walked in with India at 164/6 in the 18th over and slammed an eight-ball 22 studded with two sixes and a four. One of those maximums was a clean strike off Lasith Malinga over long-on, a kind of closure for him considering how Malinga had him trapped in front off the last ball in the thrilling IPL finals last year. 

Read | Shardul Thakur - Ravindra Jadeja - from IPL finals to Cuttack

Saini - Bumrah 

Move over Kulcha already, we have a new bowling combination on the blocks and if the first signs are anything to go by, they are fiery and fast. Navdeep Saini and Jasprit Bumrah first paired up at Indore a few days back and if the junior was on fire then while the senior warmed up after injury, here the two clicked in tandem. 

Bumrah dismissed Danushka Gunathilaka in the first over while Saini bowled a rip-roaring yorker to send Kusal Perera back in the fourth over. Bumrah went for five runs in his two overs while Saini gave away just 13 in his two in the powerplays. With Deepak Chahar out injured and Bhuvneshwar Kumar still finding his way back, Saini and Bumrah will have a chance to forge a long association, one that appears very likely to rule over opponents in Australia later this year in the T20 World Cup.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

India outplayed Sri Lanka by seven wickets at Indore to go 1-0 up in the three-match series where the first game was washed out entirely. Here we take a glance at the talking points from the second T20I.

Bumrah's return, but Saini's day 

The much-awaited passage of play in Indore was Jasprit Bumrah's return after injury. With India opting to bowl first, Bumrah took the new ball and sent down a pretty good opening over. But what the crowd expected from Bumrah came from fellow pacer Navdeep Saini who sent down an extraordinary yorker to dismiss Danushka Gunathilaka. He later went on to snare Bhanuka Rajapaksa with a 140+ kmph bumper to finish with figures of 2 for 18 in four overs.

Kusal Perera and Indore 

The last time these teams played at this venue, Kusal Perera made a blinding 37-ball 77 studded with seven sixes. That came in a losing cause because India had mercilessly piled on 260 courtesy a Rohit Sharma ton, and here the story was no different as he waged a lone battle with 34 off 28 balls. Even as Kuldeep Yadav was hit for a couple of sixes, Perera eventually fell to the chinaman spinner before he could inflict bigger damage.

Shardul Thakur is almost there 

Last time he played a limited-overs game for India, Shardul Thakur shone with the bat, making a six-ball 17 against West Indies. With his place under scrutiny almost every time he plays, Thakur decided to put up a good follow-through performance, this time with the ball. The Mumbai seamer bowled an excellent death over, leaking just three runs and picking up three wickets including two off the final two balls.

Rahul vs Dhawan heating up 

This series was dubbed as a showdown between KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan for one batting spot by skipper Virat Kohli even before it kickstarted. At Indore, with 143 to chase, Rahul edged ahead of Dhawan with a 32-ball 45, although the southpaw made a decent looking 29-ball 32 himself. In a 71-run opening stand, Rahul was the aggressor in chief and with his indomitable T20 numbers, it really is a no-brainer as to whom should partner Rohit Sharma once he is back.

Shreyas Iyer vs spin is fiery 

There are few better sights in cricket these days than Shreyas Iyer digging into spinners. A mainstay in India's middle-order in the limited-overs matches, Iyer has a penchant for taking on the opposition spinners and at Indore he targeted Wanidu Hasaranga with utmost ease. He scored two fours - one off a loft down the ground and another off a sweep - before a six into the third tier ended a 17-run over that totally tilted the balance of the game India's way. Iyer was dismissed two overs later but with a 26-ball 34, his job was done.

Feature image courtesy: Punit Paranjpe/ AFP

The talk ahead of the second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka, being played at Indore’s Holkar Stadium, was all about the return of talismanic fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Playing his first International game since August due to a forced injury break, the lanky pacer from Gujarat hit the ground running almost immediately, clocking speeds in excess of 140 clicks while maintaining his trademark consistency.

Bumrah’s return to International cricket, however, was overshadowed by the stellar performances from pace duo Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini, who accounted for more than half of Sri Lanka’s wickets in Indore. Saini picked up the crucial wickets of Danuska Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa just when the Lankans were looking to take the game away from the Indians.

Saini’s first wicket was a fierce yorker that beat the batsman all ends up, and he followed that up with a wicked bouncer that earned him a second wicket. His figures of 2/18 is his second-best return in International cricket and his economy rate of 4.50 is also commendable, considering it was the shortest format of the game. His blistering pace and ability to make batsmen hurry on their shots makes him a solid seam option for India come the T20 World Cup in October.

All the key performances today came from India. My two moments to remember were Navdeep Saini's yorker at 147 kmph to Gunathilaka and Kohli's six to finish the game.

�?Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 7, 2020

Mumbai seamer Shardul Thakur also showed his class in the second T20 International against Sri Lanka. Although he was hit for a few boundaries in the powerplay overs, the 28-year-old made a strong comeback with three wickets in his final over and an economy rate under six. Bowling the penultimate over of the game, Thakur conceded just three runs and accounted for the wickets of Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana and skipper Lasith Malinga. His myriad variations and calm demeanour in the death overs make him an ideal candidate to be in the reckoning for India’s squad at a big tournament like the T20 World Cup.

With Thakur and Saini impressing against Sri Lanka, the selectors are now finding themselves in a fresh conundrum, that is, a ‘problem of plenty�?for their T20 World Cup squad selection. 

MUST WATCH: @imShard and Navdeep Saini make their debut on CHAHAL TV

From Shardul's 3-wicket haul to Saini’s scorching yorkers , @yuzi_chahal quizzes the pace duo �?by @28anand #TeamIndia

Full video here �? //t.co/GjBx50Ca13 pic.twitter.com/XZvAnRV8Bh

�?BCCI (@BCCI) January 8, 2020

End of the road for Bhuvneshwar?

With the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka sandwiched between a longer bilateral series against West Indies and Australia, the Indian selectors have decided to give a few regulars like Mohammed Shami and Rohit Sharma some quality rest. Swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is currently recuperating from a groin injury, paved the way for Saini for this series.

Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed also remain in the mix to be drafted into India’s pace bowling battalion. The former recorded the best-ever figures by a bowler in the recently concluded T20 International series against Bangladesh, while the latter remains India’s only left-arm swing bowling option. Chahar and Khaleel have delivered whenever they are drafted into the team, and an ouster from the squad at this stage would be incredibly harsh on them.

That being said, the harsh truth remains that only three places are up for grabs in the team for fast bowlers, and one spot is inevitably reserved for Jasprit Bumrah. Mohammed Shami ended 2019 as the leading wicket-taker in ODI games with 42, and has maintained that form in the shortest format of the game, as well. An able custodian with the new ball as well as at the death, Shami’s consistency has been remarkable and will be beneficial on the bouncy tracks of Australia come October.

Thus, the one player who could find himself out of the running of the Indian T20 setup is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Despite being India’s marquee limited overs bowler for the past few years, the 29-year-old has struggled to perform well in T20 Internationals in 2019. Kumar played nine T20 games last year, but picked up only eight wickets at a bowling average of 33.87. His economy has also suffered a hit last year, with the variations and slower deliveries not as deceptive as they used to be.

With Saini and Thakur hogging the limelight with their impressive returns for the Indian team, the end for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20 Internationals could be the inevitable future.

Feature image courtesy: Sajjad Hussain/ AFP

2019 was a very weird year for Kusal Perera. A match-winning 153* at Durban against South Africa in a Test match shot Perera into the limelight. Much like Ben Stokes' stunning Headingley knock against the Aussies in the Ashes, Perera, combining in a game-changing last-wicket stand, stood out for Lanka. 

Read | Six great Test innings

But his fortunes dwindled as the year progressed and Perera ended up being an outlier in the Test side by the end of the year. His ODI and T20I record - an average of 31.12 in ODIs and 27.88 in T20Is - isn't eye-catching, but the Lankan has the knack of producing outstanding innings.

His last innings in T20Is was a 45-ball 57 against Australia in Melbourne. But it turned out to be his first half-century since March 2018 in the format. In the World Cup in 2019, Perera slammed a 111 against Bangladesh, but was otherwise off-colour. 

As the Indore T20I against India looms, Perera will, however, be a key figure for Sri Lanka. Two years back in December 2017 at the very same venue, when Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul combined in a 165-run opening stand to help India to a total of 260, Perera waged a lone battle for Lanka.

Walking in at no. 3, Perera hit a 43-ball 77, slamming seven sixes and four fours in a lost cause. With no support from the other end, Perera was dismissed in the 15th over and the Lankan innings lost direction thereafter. From 156/3, Sri Lanka collapsed to be bowled out for 172. 

Perera averages close to 30 against India in T20Is and has a strike rate of nearly 150 in the format. Other than the 77, he has another half-century against India in T20Is - a 66 in 37 balls at Colombo in 2018.

He will aided by the fact that India have a pace attack that loves hitting the deck - the likes of Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur. Perera is pretty convincing with his horizontal bat shots and could be a threat at the top of the order for Lanka.

Crucially, Sri Lanka seem to have hit upon the right spot for him in the format. At Melbourne in his final knock in the format, Perera batted at No. 3 and made 57. The left-hander averages a whopping 40.18 at no.3 in the format and has a strike rate of 149.32. Given his recent form, previous innings at Indore and a cosy position in the batting line-up, Perera will be Sri Lanka's x-factor for the second T20I.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara

‘One man’s misfortune is another man’s joy.�?/em>