England Thrash India by Four Wickets in 2nd T20I; Shreyas Iyer’s Wait for Maiden Win as Captain Continues

Manchester, July 4: Jacob Bethell smashed an unbeaten 76 and Harry Brook produced a stunning counterattack as England defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday (July 4) to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The first match was washed out.

Chasing 191 for victory, England recovered from the early dismissals of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler in the first over to reach 191 for six in 19 overs. Bethell remained unbeaten on 76 off 46 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, while captain Brook changed the momentum of the chase with a whirlwind 39 off just 15 deliveries.

The defeat extended India captain Shreyas Iyer’s wait for his maiden international victory as skipper. Iyer had lost both matches during India’s preceding T20I series against Ireland before the opening match of the England series was washed out.

Among the 12 players to have captained India in at least three T20Is, Iyer is the only one to remain winless after his first four matches in charge.

The match also marked the much-awaited international debut of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The youngster made history by becoming the youngest cricketer to represent India but failed to convert his promising start into a substantial innings, scoring 14 off 10 balls.

Jacob Bethell Takes England Home

England’s chase could hardly have started worse. Arshdeep Singh removed Phil Salt with the first delivery of the innings before dismissing Jos Buttler in the same over to leave the hosts reeling at one for two.

The left-arm pacer conceded just one run and picked up two wickets in a sensational opening over.

Brook, however, immediately launched a counterattack. The England captain took Arshdeep apart in his second over, which went for 27 runs, and raced to 39 off just 15 deliveries with four boundaries and three sixes.

Brook and Bethell added 50 runs for the third wicket before Axar Patel provided India with the breakthrough.

Axar had Brook caught by Ishan Kishan, but Bethell ensured England did not lose momentum.

The left-hander found another useful partner in Tom Banton as the pair added 67 runs for the fourth wicket. Banton contributed 39 off 32 balls before becoming Arshdeep’s third victim.

England lost Will Jacks and Sam Curran as India attempted to fight their way back into the contest, but one disastrous over from Ravi Bishnoi ended the visitors’ hopes.

Ravi Bishnoi’s 29-Run Over Changes the Game

The 17th over proved to be the decisive moment of the match. England needed 58 runs from the final four overs when Bishnoi was handed the ball for his final over.

What followed completely changed the complexion of the game. Bishnoi started the over with a no-ball to Sam Curran after cutting the return crease with his back foot.

The mistake handed Bethell a free hit, and the England batter deposited the next delivery over long-on for six. Bishnoi then overstepped the return crease again, resulting in another no-ball and another free hit.

Bethell needed no second invitation. The 22-year-old smashed the free-hit straight towards the sightscreen for six to complete a brilliant half-century under pressure.

After taking two runs off the next delivery, Bethell slapped a googly through extra cover for four before launching another slot delivery over long-on for his third six of the over.

Two runs from the final delivery completed a nightmare over for Bishnoi. 29 runs. Three sixes. One four. Two no-balls.

England’s equation had suddenly been reduced from 58 required off 24 deliveries to just 29 off 18, and the contest was effectively over. Bishnoi finished with figures of 0 for 60 from his four overs, having also bowled three no-balls during a difficult outing.

Bethell eventually remained unbeaten on 76 off 46 deliveries as England completed their highest successful T20I chase against India.

The 191-run target surpassed England’s previous highest successful chase against India – 178 at the Wankhede Stadium in 2012.

India Lose Momentum After Strong Start

Earlier, India posted 190 for seven after captain Shreyas Iyer elected to bat first. Abhishek Sharma and debutant Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided the visitors with a rapid start. The pair added 50 runs for the opening wicket in just 29 deliveries.

Sooryavanshi, playing his first international match at the age of 15 years and 99 days, struck two sixes during his brief stay at the crease. The youngster scored 14 off 10 balls before being stumped by Buttler off Will Jacks.

Abhishek continued the attack and smashed 43 off 24 deliveries, hitting eight fours and a six, before Sam Curran dismissed him. India ended the powerplay at 65 for two.

Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer Build Platform

Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer then added 65 runs for the third wicket to put India in a strong position.

Iyer scored 37 off 22 deliveries with three fours and a six, while Kishan anchored the innings with 49 off 40 balls. But India’s momentum slowed considerably during the middle and death overs.

The visitors managed only six singles from the 15th over before scoring just two runs and losing Shivam Dube in the 16th. The two-over period proved costly.

While India managed just eight runs from the 15th and 16th overs combined, England later collected 18 runs during the corresponding phase of their chase before Bethell’s assault on Bishnoi effectively decided the match.

Kishan fell one short of his half-century, while Tilak Varma provided the late impetus with an unbeaten 24 off just 11 deliveries. Harshit Rana struck a six during his three-ball six before being dismissed from the final delivery of the innings as India finished on 190 for seven.

Sam Curran was England’s most successful bowler, returning figures of three for 33.

Arshdeep Singh’s Eventful Four-Over Spell

Arshdeep’s bowling figures did not tell the full story of an extraordinary spell.

The left-arm pacer began with a sensational first over, conceding just one run and dismissing Salt and Buttler. His second over, however, went for 27 as Brook launched his counterattack.

Arshdeep returned strongly to concede just three runs and dismiss Banton in his third over before giving away 10 from his final over. He finished with three wickets for 40 runs.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the standout Indian bowler, conceding just 20 runs from his four overs while dismissing Brook.

Bethell Leads England to Record Chase

Bethell’s unbeaten 76 was the second-highest individual score by an England batter against India in a home T20I, behind Dawid Malan’s 77 at Trent Bridge in 2022. More importantly, his innings helped England register only their second victory over India in eight completed T20Is since 2024.

The hosts also extended their impressive record at Old Trafford. England have now won eight of their 14 T20Is at the venue and Saturday’s victory was their fourth successive win in Manchester. Their last T20I defeat at Old Trafford came against Pakistan in 2020.

For India, the defeat marked their third successive loss in completed T20Is – the first time they have suffered such a run since 2021. England, meanwhile, will head into the third T20I with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, while Iyer and India continue their search for a first victory under their new captain.