The first T20I of the five-match series against England turned out to be a disappointment for India. They lost the match by eight wickets with plenty of overs to spare. Be it batting, bowling, or fielding, England completely outclassed India in all departments.
The second T20I gives India a chance to mend their mistakes and come back strongly. India’s top-order failed in the previous match as both openers – KL Rahul (1) and Shikhar Dhawan (4) – were dismissed for single-digit scores. Skipper Virat Kohli was then out for a duck. Much better will be expected of them in this match.
Rishabh Pant was promoted to bat at No. 4. While he began aggressively, his strike rate stood at just a meagre 91.3 by the time he got dismissed for 21. It remains to be seen whether they continue with Pant at that position. Hardik Pandya, one of the hardest hitters around, could manage just 19 runs off 21 deliveries. Apart from Shreyas Iyer, who scored 67 in 48 balls, every other Indian batsman struggled to get going.
A total of just 124 didn’t give the Indian bowlers enough to defend. They started off well but a low target helped the England openers – Jason Roy and Jos Buttler – to bide time at the crease before teeing off. They put on an opening stand of 72 in just nine overs to knock India out of the contest. Roy’s 49 in 32 deliveries was the highest score for England, while Buttler (28), Dawid Malan (24 not out), and Jonny Bairstow (26 not out) chipped in with decent contributions as well.
Though most Indian bowlers maintained a decent economy rate, Yuzvendra Chahal turned out to be expensive. He leaked 44 runs in his four overs. He will need to improve on that to make up for his poor showing in the first outing.
Earlier in the night, the English bowlers put on a spectacular show. Their fast bowlers – Jofra Archer and Mark Wood – bowled with pace and extracted steep bounce. Archer, adjudged the Player of the Match for his outstanding spell of 4-1-23-3, gave England their first breakthrough in the form of Rahul. His other victims were Hardik and Shardul Thakur.
Wood was excellent as well, conceding just 20 in his four overs for the wicket of Dhawan. He bowled with great pace, clocking as high as 152 kph, and nailed the hard lengths to perfection.
Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan chipped in with a wicket each as well. Adil Rashid, England’s lone spinner in the match, bowled the first over, conceded just 14 in his three overs, and claimed the wicket of Kohli inside the Powerplay. So it was a very professional performance from all English players, and they will look to repeat that as they head into the second T20I. As far as India is concerned, they need to execute their batting plans better to get the best results.
Conditions: The pitch in the first match was a bit two-paced, but an entirely different track will be used for the second match. It may behave differently. Dew is expected to play a major role. The team winning the toss may choose to bowl first.
Team News
England have hardly a reason to make any change to their lineup, but Moeen Ali may slot in for Sam Curran if they expect more turn than the first T20I. India, on the other hand, are expected to give their new composition another go before deciding to make major changes.
Probable Playing XIs
India: KL Rahul (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Key Players
Hardik Pandya (India): Hardik is going to be important, as he brings balance to their lineup. India depends on him for quick runs in the death overs. He is also a valuable asset with the ball.
England: Jofra Archer
Archer showed in the first T20I why he is considered as one of the best bowlers in the format at present. Not only did he derailed India’s innings with the wicket of Rahul early in the innings, but he dominated with his bowling in the death overs as well. England will be banking on Archer for similar returns in this match.