It's not about blaming Arshdeep but no-balls are a crime: Skipper Pandya, after loss to SL

Returning to the Indian team after missing the opener of the Sri Lanka T20 series, Arshdeep Singh looked rusty in the 2nd T20I and bowled as many as five no balls in his two overs, giving away 37 runs

Bowling no balls in any format is a crime, said India skipper Hardik Pandya, adding that it was not about blaming Arshdeep Singh but the young pacer needs to go back and rectify his basic errors.

India slumped to a 16-run loss in the second T20I as Sri Lanka levelled the three-match series 1-1.

Returning to the side after missing the opener, Arshdeep looked rusty and bowled as many as five no balls in his two overs, giving away 37 runs.

"You can have a good day, you can have a bad day, but you shouldn't be moving away from the basics. For Arshdeep, in this situation, it is very difficult. In past as well he's bowled no-balls," Pandya said at the post-match presentation.

"It is not about blaming him or to be too hard on him, but we know no-balls in any format is a crime."

Pandya felt India were not up to the mark in the powerplays both while bowling and batting.

"Both in bowling and batting, the powerplay hurt us. We made some basic errors, which we shouldn't be making at this level. Everyone knows what it is. The learning for us is we should be focussing on what we can control," he said.