On January 25, India won the 2nd T20I against England by two wickets, securing a 2-0 lead in the five-match series in a thrilling affair at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. The big talking point was Tilak Varma‘s undefeated 72 off 55, although Ravi Bishnoi’s late-game appearance relieved some of the burden on his hot partner.
At 126/7, India was struggling to reach 166, with Varma and Bishnoi at the crease. India was drawn back into the match by Bishnoi’s two boundaries, which came from Carse’s flip through midwicket and Liam Livingstone’s edge past backward point. Varma then completed the victory with a boundary. During his post-match presentation, captain Suryakumar Yadav gave some thought to Bishnoi’s appearance.
The next two days will be spent with him eating my ears. He has been working very hard in the nets and wants to assist with the bat as well. His performance today is a great example, and Arshdeep Singh should also be mentioned,” Surya remarked.
delighted with Tilak’s batting performance: Suryakumar Yadav
Brydon Carse’s 17-ball 31 and Jos Buttler’s 45 helped England, who were batting first, to 165/9. Axar Patel (2-32) and Varun Chakravarthy (2-38), two Indian bowlers, kept the visitors under continual strain.
The pursuit, however, was far from simple. In short succession, Jofra Archer and Carse cost India wickets. Before Varma held the innings together, India appeared doomed to lose. Varma’s accountability and the team’s combat skills were commended by Yadav.
The way Tilak batted made me very happy, and it’s encouraging to see someone take ownership like him. With the way the game was going, there was a small sense of relief. We thought 160 was satisfactory. Because of their excellent bowling, the game was decided by a single run. The past two to three series, we have been using an additional batter. In the game, we want that cushion and the batter to give us two or three overs. While we played the previous game, the conversation was to take place,” he continued.
India is presently leading 2-0 going into the third Twenty20 International in Rajkot on January 28 with the goal of winning the series against a formidable England team.