IND vs ENG: 2nd T20I Review – Tilak shines in Chennai thriller
India doubled their lead in the five-match series against England after winning the thrilling second T20I by two wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, January 25.
Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first for a second time. England lost their openers cheaply once again before Jos Buttler and Harry Brook tried to resurrect the innings. Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed the latter in an almost identical fashion to the first T20I. Buttler was looking good but Axar Patel dismissed him for a 30-ball 45.
Debutant Jamie Smith played a fine little cameo of 22 runs off 13 balls but Liam Livingstone and Jamie Overton couldn’t make a mark. Brydon Carse, who came into the side in place of Gus Atkinson, played a gem of an innings, smashing 31 off 17 balls before being run out. Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer scored important runs down the order to take England to a fighting 165/9.
In reply, India lost their openers inside the first three overs. Suryakumar was dismissed in the sixth over as India posted 59/3 in the powerplay. Dhruv Jurel and Hardik Pandya departed in quick succession as India found themselves in a spot of bother at 78/5. Tilak Varma held the innings from one end. He stitched a crucial 38-run stand for the sixth wicket with Washington Sundar. When the latter was dismissed for a 19-ball 26, the hosts needed 50 runs more to win from 38 balls.
Axar Patel couldn’t make an impact with the bat as it came down to Tilak and the tailenders. Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi did well with the bat and gave Tilak good support. In the last over, India needed six to win. The Hyderabad batter needed just two balls to finish the match.
Top performers of the match
Tilak Varma – 72 not out off 55 balls
Tilak came out to bat at No. 3 and saw wickets falling from the other end but he remained calm. The left-handed batter hit four boundaries and five sixes, finishing on an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls. His nerves of steel proved to be the difference between the two sides in the end.
Brydon Carse – 3/29 in four overs
Brydon Carse came in to bowl in the sixth over and got the big wicket of Suryakumar. In his following over, he got the better of Jurel. Buttler took him off the attack before re-introducing him in the 14th over. The right-arm seamer broke the partnership between Sundar and Tilak to bring England back into the game. In the end, the 29-year-old finished with figures of 3/29 in four overs.
What’s next for the two teams?
The third T20I is going to be played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. This is going to be a do-or-die encounter for England as they are 0-2 down in the five-match series.
