IND vs SL: India record third lowest T20I total, birthday boy Wanindu Hasaranga steals the show

IND vs SL: India record third lowest T20I total (Twitter/BCCI)

Shikhar Dhawan's decision to bat first in the third and final T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday backfired as the Men In Blue could only accumulate 81/8 in their respective 20 overs. 

This was India's third lowest total in the shortest format of the game, after 74/10 vs Australia in 2008 and 79/10 vs New Zealand in 2016.

Lowest T20I totals for India:

74 vs Aus Melbourne 2008
79 vs NZ Nagpur 2016
81/8 v SL Colombo RPS 2021 *
92 vs SA Cuttack 2015

Meanwhile, this was also the lowest total by a full member in a T20I after batting for 20 overs. West Indies' 79/7 against Zimbabwe is the lowest in this category.    

Lowest team totals batting out all 20 overs (Full Member teams):

79/7 WI v Zim Port of Spain 2010
81/8 Ind v SL Colombo RPS 2021 *
85/9 Ban v Pak Dhaka 2011
85/8 Ire v WI Kingston 2014 

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga, who is also celebrating his 24th birthday, with a record-breaking spell. The spinner completed his four-over quota with clinical figures reading 9/4. He removed Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad in his first over and also dismissed Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Chakravarthy in the middle overs. 

Best T20I figures on birthday:

4/9 Wanindu Hasaranga v Ind Colombo RPS (29 Jul 2021)
4/21 Imran Tahir v Net Chittagong (27 Mar 2014)
3/23 Yuvraj Singh vs SL Mohali (12 Dec 2009)
* Full Member teams

Only three Indian batsmen could manage the double-digit score with number seven Kuldeep Yadav being the best with his 23-run unbeaten knock. Such was the dominance of the home bowlers that India hit only four boundaries in entire 20-over innings.  

- with PTI inputs