England defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I at Old Trafford in Manchester. The Shreyas Iyer-led side was in complete control for long stretches of the game, but a dramatic late surge from England flipped the contest on its head, allowing the hosts to script a comeback and eventually seal the win.ย
India picked up three wickets in the powerplay as Phil Salt and Jos Buttler departed without opening their tally. Captain Harry Brook offered a brief counterattack, scoring 39 from 15 deliveries, which was cut short by Axar Patel just before the end of the powerplay. India maintained control through the middle overs, but the balance of the game began to shift as England rebuilt their innings.
The turning point arrived in the 17th over when Jacob Bethell targeted Ravi Bishnoi, striking three sixes and capitalising on two no-balls in an over that went for 29 runs. That passage not only swung the chase decisively in Englandโs favour but also marked a statistical low point for India in the contest.
From there, England dictated terms. Bethell remained unbeaten on 76 from 46 deliveries and controlled the chase, while Tom Banton supported with a composed 39 off 32 balls. The 22-year-old Bethell eventually won the game for the hosts, as England lead 1-0 in the five-match series now.ย
I think we all know where it went away: Shreyas
After the game, Shreyas highlighted how Bishnoiโs over changed the momentum and took the game away from their reach.ย
โI think we all know where it went away, but I don’t want to pinpoint any particular player. The way we were cruising until the 15th over, I think we were doing exceptionally well. And then suddenly the momentum shifted towards them, and from there on, I felt it was a cakewalk for them,โ Shreyas said in the post-match presentation.ย
Bishnoiโs over also carried historical weight, as he became the first spinner from a Full Member nation to bowl three no-balls in a T20I. It also ranked as the third-most expensive over ever conceded by an Indian in the format, after Shivam Dube and Stuart Binny.
โI was like, okay, he’s going to come back strong after that. But again, in the 17th over, back-to-back (no-balls), I think it haunted us a bit. But yeah, definitely he’s got to learn out of that,โ Shreyas added.
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