The Only Positive For India Was That They Prevented Their Lowest Total: Virender Sehwag On India's Poor Batting Display In The 3rd T20I

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has reckoned that the only positive for the Shikhar Dhawan-led team in the third T20I was that they were able to breach the national sides’ lowest-ever T20I total.

India had an off day with the bat in the series-decider as their depleted batting unit fell like ninepins against leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

The visitors just about managed to get past their lowest T20I total of 74- vs Australia at the MCG in 2008- as they meandered to 8/81 in 20 overs.

Sehwag, however, expressed his disappointment with India’s batting display as he felt that Sri Lankan bowlers didn’t do anything extraordinary.

He further added that one can’t expect much if three of the top-5 batters get dismissed leg-before-wicket besides adding that he was expecting Nitish Rana to score a half-century.

“The only positive was that they prevented their lowest total. But I couldn’t see any extraordinary bowling either. Three players got out LBW to spinners, which we rarely get to see. And if three of your five batsmen get out leg before, then it creates difficulty. I thought if Nitish Rana could be the batsman who could score a fifty, then India could have gotten to a respectable total but even he lost his opportunity,” said Virender Sehwag on CricBuzz Live.

Sehwag further added that a team is bound to have a batting collapse at some stage during the series and, unfortunately for the visitors, that collapse happened on the day of the series decider.

”I would say it wasn’t India’s day, and often in a series, there comes one match – either the hosts or the visiting teams – that there is a collapse. So perhaps we couldn’t assume that it was going to be such a day for India. I thought it’s a new wicket but still India would make at least 130-135, but I didn’t think that they would get 80-odd,” Sehwag added.

Thanks to their poor batting display, India lost the third T20I to squander their bilateral series to Sri Lanka after 13 years.

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