‘They are young kids and are..’: Rahul Dravid backs Arshdeep Singh after pacer’s terrible show in 2nd T20I

The second game between India and Sri Lanka was a run fest, with 396 runs scored in 40 overs at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Ultimately, it was the visitors who proved to be the superior team, winning by 16 runs.

The host made several errors throughout the game, the most notable of which was bowling seven no-balls. Notably, five of those were bowled by Arshdeep Singh, a left-arm bowler returning from injury. The 22 runs scored off those 7 free hits were the difference between the two sides.

Arshdeep conceded 37 runs in two overs and bowled three no-balls in his opening over.

Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis seized the opportunity with both hands and hammered the pacer for 17 runs in his opening over. Then, in the 19th over, he delivered two more no-balls, handing up 20 runs.

As a result, Sri Lanka finished with a good score of 206/6. However, when asked about the high number of no-balls, Head coach Rahul Dravid stated that the young bowlers are still on a learning curve. He also advised patience with the left-armer.

“We need to be patient with a lot of these young kids, There are a lot of youngsters playing in this team, especially our bowling attack. They are young kids, they will have games like this. We all need to be patient with them, we need to be understanding that games like this can happen, but they are learnings,” said Dravid.

The Indian head coach said that international games are always challenging, but these young players are improving, therefore we must be patient with them. Furthermore, Dravid stated that while we are attempting to offer more opportunities to young players in T20Is to monitor and support them, the ODI World Cup remains our primary objective.

The third and final match will be held at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot on Saturday, January 7.

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