SL vs IND | It was a difficult situation for us but we decided to stay and play, states Shikhar Dhawan

On the back of a staggering late defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, India entered the third T20I knowing that they needed to get off to a great start in the decider. Even though the toss landed India’s way, the Indian top-order succumbed under the pressure of the Sri Lankan bowlers, crashing to 29/4 in the powerplay. 

Despite Kuldeep Yadav’s 28-ball 23, India could only get themselves to an underwhelming total of 81, which was easily chased down by the hosts, who crossed the finishing line with seven wickets to spare. In the post-match presentation, Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan stated that it was a difficult situation for them, after the COVID situation in the camp. However, Dhawan applauded the team for staying back and playing the remainder of the series.

“It was a difficult situation for us. As a team we decided to stay and play these games. Really proud the way the boys well. They showed great character in the last two games. Their attitude was tremendous. We wanted to win as well, in every game you learn. It was a off day for our batting unit,“ Dhawan stated.

Dhawan credited the Sri Lankan bowling unit for the amount of pressure that they exerted on the visitors. Alongside that, he also congratulated the Sri Lankan team for the series win while stating that she shared his career experience with the up and coming youngsters in the Sri Lankan outfit. 

“We lost too many wickets, SL bowled well. When you lose early wickets, you get a lot of pressure, glad that we got to 80s, that's all we managed today. Both teams played in great spirit. It's beautiful that we were competitive in the field and respect was there. The SL boys wanted to know what's my process, I was just sharing my experience. I hope they enjoyed listening to it. And, congratulations to the Sri Lankan team.”