"The Asia Cup belief has not been seen after that" - Aakash Chopra on Sri Lanka's loss in 1st T20I vs India

Aakash Chopra believes Sri Lanka frittered away a great chance to win the first T20I against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3.

Dasun Shanaka and Co. restricted the Men in Blue to 162/5 after asking them to bat first on a chase-friendly ground. However, they got bowled out for 160 to lose the match by two runs.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Sri Lanka's lack of belief cost them the match, saying:

"The team is good but they don't have the belief. The Asia Cup belief has not been seen after that, neither was it seen in the World Cup nor here because they should have walked home this match."

Chopra highlighted that the visitors were in the ascendancy when Shanaka was in the middle and their batters had taken apart Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel, elaborating:

"When you had hit Yuzi Chahal and Axar Patel, the match was there for the taking. Dasun Shanaka was playing - the game was on. Then Harshal Patel picks up a wicket first and then Umran (Malik) is successful, the wickets were falling at constant intervals."

Chahal conceded 26 runs in the two overs he bowled. Axar was also taken for 21 runs in his first two overs.

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"Karunaratne was present in the last over when they needed 13 runs" - Aakash Chopra on Sri Lanka failing to close out the win

Axar Patel conceded just two runs off the last three deliveries he bowled. [P/C: BCCI]

Chopra pointed out that an accomplished batter in the form of Chamika Karunaratne was in the middle when the last over was given to Axar, observing:

"All said and done, you had lost so many wickets, but despite that, Karunaratne was present in the last over when they needed 13 runs. The captain gave the ball to Axar Patel and all of us were thinking - why Axar?"

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Hardik Pandya didn't have any option but to give the last over to the left-arm spinner, reasoning:

"It's not ideal but I think no other option was remaining as I feel there was a slight pull in the hamstring or somewhere when Hardik ran back to take a catch. Yuzi Chahal had got a lot of beating in his two overs, Axar Patel was also hit a lot before this, but if you have to choose between the two, you go with Axar Patel.

Chopra feels Sri Lanka lost the game due to their own mistakes, explaining:

"Karunaratne hit a six and the game changed. But then the two mistakes he made, I feel it was a tactical error when he wasted two balls by moving around. They were not wides, if he had stood his ground, he could have hit one of those length balls straight down the ground. He couldn't do that and India won the match in the end."

Pandya later confirmed that he was afflicted by cramps and hadn't suffered any injuries. The Indian captain wanted to test out Axar by giving him the last over and the lanky spinner did not let him down.