Tilak Varma led India to victory with an impressive fifty in a tense second T20I match against England in Chennai. The game seemed manageable at the halfway point, especially after England’s lackluster batting performance. However, India faced significant challenges against the visitors’ pace bowlers, finding themselves at a precarious 104/6 while chasing a target of 166. Demonstrating remarkable composure and adaptability, Tilak kept the Indian innings afloat until the final moments, ultimately securing the win with four balls remaining.
Indian spinners dominate as England sets up a decent total
England commenced their innings in a manner reminiscent of their performance in Kolkata just three days prior, with Phil Salt once again falling victim to Arshdeep Singh in the opening over after India chose to bowl first. Jos Buttler, however, took charge for England, aggressively targeting Arshdeep with a series of boundaries, including two fours and a six, to set the tone for his team’s innings. Although Washington Sundar, who replaced the injured Nitish Reddy, quickly dismissed Ben Duckett, Buttler continued to assert his dominance. Harry Brook also started well, scoring 12 runs off just 4 balls, but, similar to his previous outing in Kolkata, he misjudged Varun Chakravarthy’s googly and was bowled out.
The pivotal moment occurred at the halfway point when Buttler misplayed a pull shot off Axar Patel, resulting in his dismissal near the boundary. Liam Livingstone once again failed to make a significant contribution, but England found hope in the performances of two newcomers. Jamie Smith, making his T20I debut, appeared at ease against the spinners, even taking on Chakravarthy. He raced to 22 runs off just 11 balls but ultimately fell victim to his own aggression, mistiming a shot that led to his catch near long-off.
In a similar vein, Brydon Carse made a notable impact with some elegant strokes, maintaining the scoring rate despite the loss of wickets. Carse notably struck Chakravarthy for consecutive sixes, proving to be a crucial player for England as they approached the death overs. Unfortunately, a miscommunication with Jofra Archer resulted in an unnecessary run-out, significantly hampering England’s momentum. Following this setback, Adil Rashid and Archer contributed to elevate England’s total to 165, a score that once again appeared insufficient against a formidable Indian batting lineup.
Tilak Varma anchors the batting as India chases the target
Abhishek Sharma initiated the chase with three boundaries off Archer, signaling India’s intent, but Mark Wood quickly curtailed his innings by trapping the young batsman lbw. While England faced challenges against spin, it was the pace, particularly the short deliveries, that proved detrimental to India. Sanju Samson succumbed to a short ball from Archer, yet Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak mounted a counteroffensive, delivering a series of boundaries that put England on the back foot once more.
Despite losing two wickets, India appeared to be in control during the powerplay; however, against the flow of the game, the captain fell after an inside edge dislodged the bails. This moment allowed England to re-enter the match, as Dhruv Jurel soon followed him, dismissed by another short delivery. Hardik Pandya began his innings with a boundary, but Jamie Overton effectively utilized the short ball, leading to India losing half their lineup with only 78 runs on the scoreboard.
Local hero Washington then stabilized the innings alongside Tilak, and after a cautious phase, he began to score freely, hitting several boundaries to reduce the target. He asserted his dominance with a six and two fours in an over from Mark Wood, which cost the bowler 18 runs. However, once again against the run of play, India lost a wicket when Carse returned to bowl Washington out, followed closely by Axar, who mis-timed a slogsweep.
Tilak was compelled to take on the responsibility of leading India to victory following the loss of two wickets. Although he began his innings with an aggressive approach, Tilak demonstrated remarkable composure and adjusted his strategy to extend the game. He struck Archer for consecutive sixes, exciting the audience and reaching his fifty. However, the match remained tense when Arshdeep was caught in the deep, leaving India needing 20 runs from 18 balls with only two wickets remaining. Ravi Bishnoi then provided crucial support to Tilak by relieving some of the pressure with a well-timed boundary, ultimately allowing India’s No. 3 to extinguish England’s hopes in the final over.
SCORECARD: England 165/9 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 45; Axar Patel 2/32) lost to India 166/8 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 72*; Brydon Carse 3/29) by 2 wickets
