Team India cricketer Axar Patel’s brilliant catching skills were on display during the second ODI against Sri Lanka on Thursday, January 13 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He took three catches in the innings, including an outstanding effort to dismiss Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamika Karunartne cheaply. Team India bowled out Sri Lanka for 215 runs in around forty overs.

The visitors got off to a poor start, losing Avishka Fernando early with 29 runs on the board. Kusal Mendis came to the crease and put together a good partnership with debutant Nuwanidu Fernando. Sri Lanka reacted 100 runs in the seventeen over but lost quick wickets thereafter. They were reduced to 152/7 in around twenty-five overs. Chamika Karunaratne was at the crease along with Dunith Wellalage.

The duo tried to stabilize the Sir Lankan innings, however, Axar Patel’s sharp effort, ended their partnership. In the thirty-fourth over, Umran Malik bowled a 144.3kmph short of a length delivery, which bounced a bit extra as Karunaratne tried to punch it off the back foot. He failed to keep it down, and the ball went to the backward point fielder, Axar Patel, who dived to his left to complete the catch.

Watch the video here: 

Sharp catch alert 💥@akshar2026 dives to his left and takes a fine catch as @umran_malik_01 gets his second wicket 👌👌#TeamIndia | #INDvSL | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/R4bJoPXNM3

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 12, 2023

Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav shine against Sri Lanka, picking three wickets each

Team India bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav pulled off a great bowling performance against Sri Lanka in the second ODI match at Eden Garden in Kolkata. They picked three wickets each as India bowled out the visitors for 215 runs. Siraj ended with bowling figures of 3/20, while Kuldeep bowled ten overs for 3/51.

Speaking at the mid-innings break, Mohammed Siraj expressed, as quoted by Cricbuzz,

“The ball wasn’t coming out quick enough, and there wasn’t enough swing. So the plan was to bowl stump to stump to keep the pressure from one end, hoping to get wickets and help the other bowlers. KL told me it stopped swinging after one over, so I switched over to hard lengths. It is a good batting wicket, but Kuldeep bowled very well to cause a middle-order collapse. The outfield is very quick so the message to the batters is just watched and play the ball.”

---

Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.