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England were thoroughly outplayed in the series opener at Kolkata, with their discomfort in facing quality spin quite noticeable. The acclimatization challenge looms over the visitors but there is no betting against their talent as they take aim at India’s golden run. Stay tuned for live updates from the second T20I of the five-match series at Chennai.
The youngster has held his composure and taken the game deep to usher India past the finish line. At one point the hosts were really struggling at 78/5 in a chase of 166. Plucking a leaf out of MS Dhoni’s book, Tilak took calculated risks to make sure India kept inching closer to the target. Wickets were falling around him but he didn’t lose sight of the ultimate goal, ushering India to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. 318 runs in the last 4 T20I innings without being dismissed for the left-hander now at one drop.
2️⃣-0️⃣ 🙌
Tilak Varma finishes in style and #TeamIndia register a 2-wicket win in Chennai! 👌
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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2025
A flick through mid-wicket and a streaky chip over point from the bat off the tail-ender has greatly eased the burden on Tilak. India need a run a ball in the final over. England are okay on time, so no over-rate penalty.
Equation: 20 runs | 18 balls. Just two wickets in hand though and Tilak Varma ought to face the majority of the deliveries.
Arshdeep Singh is dismissed, and India finds itself in a perilous situation.
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— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
40 runs were needed off 5 overs when Archer came on for his final over. Gives away 19 to dwarf the requirement down to 21 off 24.
A couple of unfortunate boundaries in there for the Barbados quick, but the six that Tilak hit flat over point was all class. Gave himself room to free his arms and the slash was executed to perfection.
60 runs is the most conceded by Jofra Archer in a T20 match. pic.twitter.com/D3Qxgz4NjV
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
Spotting two left-handers in the middle, Buttler calls upon Livingstone and he delivers with his off-spin. Axar Patel miscued a slog to offer a regulation catch to Ben Duckett at deep mid-wicket.
Earlier, Carse added a third wicket to his tally by castling Washington, who played an innings of two halves.
18 runs off the over and the equation is down to 53 runs off 7 overs.
Adil Rashid's catching woes continue. Put down Abhishek Sharma on 29 in his follow through in Kolkata and he pillaged 50 runs off his next 19 balls.
Now hands Washington Sundar a reprieve on 10 and he's finished the over on a high after looking all at sea early in his innings.
— Aryan Surana (@iamaryansurana) January 25, 2025
Jamie Overton digs the ball into the surface and much to his shock, it just keeps climbing. The batter ducks underneath and the keeper has no chance. Bonus runs for India, who are reliant on Tilak Varma to shepherd the chase. 70 required from 47 balls.
Hardik Pandya was cramped for room as he looked to slash the wide short ball but edged it through to the keeper. Jamie Overton strikes immediately, much like Carse. India lose half their side, and the experienced Hardik’s wicket will throw a spoke in India’s wheels.
Carse has shone bright with both bat and ball in Chennai. Scored 31(17) to beef up India’s total and has now inflicted a double whammy to peg the hosts back, including the key wicket of Suryakumar Yadav.
Holy smokes! Tilak Verma is adept at playing the flick-ramp over fine leg just like Quinton de Kock. He has budged inside the line of the ball and helped it along for a sixer. Right out of the screws of the bat and there she goes, deep into the stands. Archer can’t do much than doff his hat to the southpaw because that delivery was clocked at 150.3 kph and still met such a disdainful treatment.
Up and running in the chase! 💥
Tilak Varma gets going in style 😎
Fifty up for #TeamIndia in the 5th over
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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2025
While Abhishek Sharma swung across the line to be trapped in front by Mark Wood, Sanju Samson has been hustled on the pull by Jofra Archer. England have got the start the doctor ordered after putting up a par total on the board.
India needs 166 runs to claim victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series!
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— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
🏴 put 165/9 on the board. Jos Butter missed his fifty while Brydon Carse was stroking the ball remarkably before a moment of poor communication sent him packing for 31(17).
🇮🇳 employed as many as 5 spinners on a typical, slightly sluggish, Chennai track https://t.co/RmXwIlkd8W pic.twitter.com/jbRlIn4GhP
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
After Jamie Overton has his stumps dislodged by the onsong Varun Chakravarthy, the onus was squarely on Brydon Carse to guide England towards a respectable total. He was middling the ball and raced to 30 off 16 balls when poor communication between him and Archer cost him his wicket.
Brilliant fielding from Dhruv Jurel to attack the ball, pick it up and release in one fell swoop. The sidearm throw was on point, and Ravi Bishnoi whipped the bails off at the non-striker’s end.
India have employed as many as five spinners to take advantage of the typically low and slow conditions, and the rotation is paying off as England continue to slide.
Livingstone was caught on the boundary after splicing a pull off Axar while Jamie, who was picking up speed, got greedy and threw his wicket away to the part-timer Abhishek Sharma.
India are right on top. The Chennai track has always been a bit sluggish in nature, and the spinners are thereby posing problems. Buttler departs on the verge of fifty as England lose a fair bit of momentum.
Axar Patel delivers a vital breakthrough for India, dismissing the dangerous Jos Buttler!
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— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
Chakravarthy has the wood over Brook. Pitching outside off but the ball turned in enough to breach the gap between the pat and pad. The timber is rattled, and India keep chipping away at the wickets.
Tossed up delivery from Ravi Bishnoi, Buttler bent one knee down to dunk it over the bowler’s head. His third maximum already! The margin for error as far as lengths are concerned is infinitesimal against the England captain.
Brook sits down and nails the slog sweep off Axar Patel. Played the field well as mid-on was inside the ring.
Then he goes inside out, finds the gap and collects a four. Graceful shot by the young lad.
Consecutive failures for Ben Duckett as his attempted reverse sweep goes wrong. Top edge and a dolly for Dhruv Jurel. India have removed both the openers on either end of Buttler’s pyrotechnics.
Ben Duckett is gone! Washington Sundar makes an instant impact, striking with his very first ball on home turf!
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— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
Jos Buttler attempted the shimmie-and-hoick against Hardik Pandya on the final ball of the last over but the adventurous shot did not come off. He manages to pull it off this time around, versus Arshdeep. One bounce and four. He likes to be assertive in order to ruffle up the pacers.
Follows it up with a six over deep mid-wicket and a stab through the off-side to fetch 16 off the over. His mini-assault has made sure England do not lose momentum despite the wicket of Salt.
Phil Salt blazed off the blocks with a flick over wide mid-on but Arshdeep Singh has sent him packing in the first over for the second game in a row. Looks to fetch the pull from outside off-stump and he did hit it decently to be fair, but just couldn’t get enough power to clear the man at deep square leg. The side boundaries are long here in Chennai, unlike the Eden Gardens, and Salt has fallen for the bait.
Arshdeep Singh strikes early once again, dismissing Phil Salt in the very first over!
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— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2025
Teams:
England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy