In the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo, former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal praised Shikhar Dhawan’s uncomfortable innings of 40 runs off 42 balls, wherein the hosts secured after hunting down the target of 133 runs with four wickets in hand. Akmal defends Shikhar Dhawan
He Knew That There Was Not Much Batting – Kamran Akmal defends Shikhar Dhawan Slow Knock Was ‘Demand Of The Situation’
The Indian captain was chastised on social media for his conventional approach to the game. Kamran Akmal, on the other hand, has the other viewpoint. With 9 players in isolation, India’s batting line-up was poor not just in terms of experience but also in terms of hitting potential. India started with just 5 batsmen and 6 bowlers.
As a result, Dhawan’s strategy was conservative, as he didn’t want to lose his wicket and exposed the poor lower-middle order, which unfolded when Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped in at the sixth position in the 17th over.
“Dhawan knew that there was not much batting and tried to take his innings as deep as possible. Although the strike rate was less, it was the demand of the situation and the team for him to play that way. If he had been dismissed early, India would not have been able to score even as much as they did,” Kamran Akmal said in his YouTube video.
The captaincy was good and they showed great fight till the end: Kamran Akmal
Nevertheless, Kamran Akmal went on to say that, India’s bowling attempt to keep the match alive until the final over. He said that India might have won the game if they had scored 10-15 more runs.
“It was an outstanding performance from India to take the game so close. Had they played with six proper batsmen, they could have scored 10-15 extra runs and that would have been difficult for Sri Lanka. But the captaincy was good and they showed great fight till the end,” the wicketkeeper concluded.
The series will now go to a deciding game on Thursday. Navdeep Saini, who hurt his shoulder during fielding, is likely to be replaced by some other debutant.
Also Read: Bhuvi’s Six Turned The Course Of The Match: Ramiz Raja
