2nd T20I: England chase down 191 to beat India, take 1-0 series lead

Jacob Bethell anchored a superb run chase with an unbeaten 76 after Harry Brook’s explosive counterattack rescued England from an early collapse, as the hosts defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing 191, England were rocked in the opening over when Arshdeep Singh struck twice, dismissing Phil Salt and Jos Buttler to leave the hosts reeling at 2/1. But Brook immediately turned the contest on its head with a breathtaking assault, smashing 39 off just 15 deliveries.

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The England captain tore into Arshdeep in the third over, plundering 27 runs with three sixes and three boundaries to wrest back momentum and ensure the required rate never became a concern.

India clawed their way back when Axar Patel dismissed Brook after a successful review, while the left-arm spinner also completed 100 T20 wickets during the innings. Varun Chakaravarthy tightened the screws further as England slowed through the middle overs.

However, Bethell remained composed throughout the chase. The left-hander stitched together a crucial partnership with Tom Banton (39), rotating the strike smartly before accelerating when required.

Arshdeep eventually broke the stand, while Varun trapped Will Jacks lbw to leave England needing 49 from the final five overs.

India briefly sensed an opportunity before Ravi Bishnoi’s expensive 17th over swung the contest decisively. Two no-balls handed England free hits, and Bethell capitalised ruthlessly, hammering three sixes and a four in a 29-run over that effectively settled the chase.

Bethell completed a composed half-century during the assault and remained unbeaten to guide England home with an over to spare despite Harshit Rana dismissing Sam Curran late in the innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also marked his international debut with his maiden T20I catch on the boundary.

Earlier, India recovered well after losing momentum in the middle overs to post 190/7.

Fifteen-year-old Sooryavanshi became India’s youngest T20I debutant and made an immediate impression, striking two sixes before Will Jacks outfoxed him for 14.

Abhishek Sharma continued the aggressive approach with a fluent 43 off 24 balls before Ishan Kishan (49) and Shreyas Iyer (37) steadied the innings with a 65-run partnership.

England fought back through Sam Curran, whose clever changes of pace earned him figures of 3/33, including the key wickets of Kishan and Shivam Dube.

India looked set to finish below par before Tilak Varma provided the late flourish. The left-hander remained unbeaten on 24 from just 11 balls, smashing three sixes to lift the visitors to what initially appeared to be a competitive total.

The target ultimately proved insufficient as Brook’s fearless hitting and Bethell’s composed finish helped England complete an impressive chase and move ahead in the series.

Brief Scores: India 190/7 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 49, Abhishek Sharma 43; Sam Curran 3/33) lost to England 191/6 in 19 overs (Jacob Bethell 76*, Harry Brook 39, Tom Banton 39; Arshdeep Singh 3/40) by four wickets.