The preceding four run feasts have done India a massive disservice by masking the multiple failings in their batting unit. The two sides are currently locked 2-2 in the rubber.
For the hosts, problems start with the top two.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have had moments of individual brilliance, striking three fifties between them. But their contributions as an opening pair read 29, 42, 7 and 60.
The 60-run stand in Hyderabad was also slightly misleading, as Samson scored 56 of those runs while Abhishek added a mere two.
Once the stand was broken, the middle order could not step up this time.
Ishan Kishan, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir failed to capitalise on the start provided by Samson, highlighting the gradual decline of the hosts’ core in this series.
Iyer scored 102 in the first T20I at Lucknow, but his next three outings have yielded 40, 1 and 16. A defeat here will certainly dent Iyer’s image as captain too.
