5 Most Embarrassing Defeats for India in T20Is

In sports, much like life, it is not the fall but how quickly you get back up that makes all the difference. But some falls are far more difficult to get up from than others. Although India won the inaugural edition of the World T20, the country's journey in the shortest format of the game has been far from a bed of roses.

Although India never really endured a prolonged run of defeats (they have never lost more than two successive T20I series), there have been some embarrassing defeats that players will want to erase from not just the record books but their memories as well.

Painful memories that leave an indelible mark never really go away. So let us take a look at some games that the team and its fans would like to forget. Here are the 5 most embarrassing defeats for India in T20Is:

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#5 India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Pune, 9 February 2016

With the 2016 World T20 at home, India had a T20I series against Sri Lanka and an Asia Cup to prepare for it. But India's T20 preparations got off to the worst possible start in Pune. Sri Lanka won the toss and put India into bat and made the most of an unusually green track at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

Despite having a largely inexperienced bowling line-up, Sri Lanka bowled India out for 101, their second-lowest total in a T20I in India. Debutant Kasun Rajitha had a field day with the new ball as he got rid of India's top three inside the powerplay. And just when it looked as though India had seen off the new ball and looked set for a respectable total, Dasun Shanaka ran through the middle-order and left the hosts reeling at 58/7 in 11 overs.

Courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin's unbeaten 31, India avoided the humiliation of being dismissed for their lowest total in T20Is and just inched past 100 before they were eventually dismissed. In response, India's seamers didn't have the same impact as Sri Lanka merely took their time and eventually got over the line with five wickets and two overs to spare.

Brief scores: India 101 all out in 18.5 overs (Ravichandran Ashwin 31*, Dasun Shanaka 3/16) lost to Sri Lanka 105/5 in 18 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 35, Ravichandran Ashwin 2/13)

#4 India vs Australia, 2nd T20I, Guwahati, 10 October 2017

Behrendorff ran through the Indian top-order

Barsapara Cricket Stadium's first taste of international cricket didn't go according to plan for India. After being put into bat by Australia at Guwahati, India's top-order went missing and it was only thanks to some crucial lower-order contributions that they even managed to cross 100.

And that all came courtesy of a breathtaking spell of new-ball bowling by Jason Behrendorff, who ran through the Indian top-order to leave the hosts reeling at 27/4 before the end of the powerplay. 118 was never going to be enough for India to defend and despite picking up two quick wickets with the new ball, India were chasing leather for the rest of the game.

The target of 119 was chased down with consummate ease by the Australian all-round duo of Moises Henriques and Travis Head, who got their side over the line with eight wickets and 27 balls to spare.

Brief scores: India 118 all out in 20 overs (Kedar Jadhav 27, Jason Behrendorff 4/21) lost to Australia 122/2 in 15.3 overs (Moises Henriques 62*, Travis Head 48*)

#3 India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I, Cuttack, 5 October 2015

Morkel was the destroyer in chief as India were bundled out for 92

Already 1-0 down in the series, India were sent into bat by South Africa, who won the toss in the second T20I at Cuttack. India knew that they needed a good score on the board if they are to have any chance of coming back to level the series.

Unfortunately, not only did they not get a good score, they were bundled out for under 100 for only the second time in T20Is (at the time). Although the top-order got starts, a middle-order collapse meant that they were bowled out in 17.2 overs, which still remains the record for the fewest balls in which they were dismissed in a T20I.

Chasing 93, South Africa took their own sweet time before finally putting India out of their misery as they won by six wickets with 17 balls to spare.

Brief scores: India 92 all out in 17.2 overs (Suresh Raina 22, Albie Morkel 3/12) lost to South Africa 96/4 in 17.1 overs (JP Duminy 30*)

#2 India vs New Zealand, World T20 Group Game, Nagpur, 15 March 2016

India crumbled under the pressure created by the Kiwi spinners

After New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, Indian bowlers did well to restrict the visitors to 126/7 on a pitch that was making the batsmen work hard for their runs. Though the target wasn't massive, India knew that getting there was never going to be easy. But even the most pessimistic of the lot wouldn't have thought that the side would be bowled out for the lowest total in a T20I at home.

While India's bowling department kept the scoring rate down, each of the bowlers who bowled more than an over only picked up a single wicket apiece. New Zealand's spin trio of Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner and, Ish Sodhi finished with figures of 11-0-44-9.

The visiting spinners were head and shoulders above the bowling of the hosts and they were also helped by some careless batting. Only three batsmen scored over 5 runs as wickets just kept tumbling at an incredible rate.

Eventually, India were bowled out for their second-lowest T20I total and the lowest by any team in India. Chasing 127 for victory, the hosts lost by 47 runs as they unraveled under the web spun by the Kiwi spinners.

Brief scores: New Zealand 126/7 in 20 overs (Corey Anderson 34, Jasprit Bumrah 1/15) beat India 79 all out in 18.1 overs (MS Dhoni 30, Mitchell Santner 4/11)

#1 Australia vs India (only T20I), Melbourne, 1 February 2008

India registered their lowest score in T20Is

Just four months after India were crowned champions in the inaugural World T20, they came crashing down to earth at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia. It was Adam Gilchrist's final match for Australia in T20Is so it was always going to be a historic occasion but India's humiliating nine-wicket defeat made it even more memorable as the hosts defeated India for the first time in the format.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, India were bundled out for just 74, which to this day, remains their lowest score in T20Is. At the time, it was also the second-lowest score in T20Is, just above Kenya's 73. India's batsmen never really got going and Irfan Pathan, who scored 26, was the only Indian player to reach double digits for the visitors, who were bowled out in 17.3 overs.

All of Australia's six bowlers chipped in with a wicket but it was Nathan Bracken's 3/11 that was the standout bowling performance. In response, Australia took less than 12 overs to register their maiden T20I win over India. Captain Michael Clarke scored an unbeaten 37 while Gilchrist finished his T20I career with 25 as the hosts romped home with nine wickets and 52 balls to spare.

Brief scores: India 74 all out in 17.3 overs (Irfan Pathan 26, Nathan Bracken 3/11) lost to Australia 75/1 in 11.2 overs (Michael Clarke 37*)

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