India vs England 2021, 2nd T20I: Skipper Virat Kohli And Debutant Ishan Kishan Successfully Script India's Series-Level Victory

Captain Virat Kohli’s return to the form and debutant Ishan Kishan’s incredible fifty helped the Indian team to level the home T20I series after winning the second game of the five-match T20I series against the visitors England on Sunday (14th March) night.

After the Indian captain Virat Kohli sent the visitors to bat first, England scored 164/6 (20 overs) in the first innings. The hosts chased down that target successfully in 17.5 overs after losing only three wickets. While Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav made their international debuts on this night, Yadav nothing had to do much apart from successfully taking a catch to dismiss Jonny Bairstow.

India vs England 2021, 2nd T20I

2nd innings (India): Ishan Kishan scored 56 runs; Virat Kohli was not out on 73 runs

Opener KL Rahul once again failed to provide the strong start as Sam Curran dismissed him for a duck in the very first over of that chasing when India were still waiting to open their scoreboard. But the debutant Ishan Kishan and captain Virat Kohli quickly handled the situation really well and guided the hosts to the strong chasing.

Ishan and Kohli set up the brilliant 94 runs partnership for the second wicket and that too in just 9 overs. In the 10th over of that innings, Ishan first completed his fifty in just 28 balls as he hit two consecutive sixes to reach his debutant half-century. But on the final of that same over, leg-spinner Adil Rashid successfully trapped Ishan for lbw as he lost his wicket after scoring 56 off 32 balls (5 fours and 4 sixes).

However, captain Kohli continued his outstanding batting performance as that chase only became easier for the Indian team. Kohli and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant had the 36 runs partnership for the third wicket where Pant scored 26 off just 13 balls (2 fours and 2 sixes) before Chris Jordan dismissed him.

After his twin ducks, Kohli completed his 26th T20I half-century in 35 balls as he reached that 50-run mark with a sixer to Tom Curran. Kohli scored 73 not out off 49 balls (5 fours and 3 sixes) as India still had 13 balls left when they secured that seven-wicket victory. Kohli hit a four and sixer respectively in the consecutive balls to finish the match.

1st innings (England): Most English batsmen failed to manage big scores

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided a strong start for the hosts India as he dismissed the England opener, Jos Buttler, for a golden duck on the very third ball of the match. But another opener Jason Roy and Dawid Malan controlled the situation very well as England scored 44/1 at the end of the powerplay.

In the ninth over of that innings, Yuzvendra Chahal brought the breakthrough as he dismissed Dawid Malan for 24 runs. Before that wicket, Roy and Malan put the 63 runs partnership for the second wicket.

Roy continued his brilliant batting but once again he missed his half-century as this time again Washington Sundar denied his fifty. Roy was out after scoring 46 runs off 35 balls with the help of 4 boundaries and 2 over-boundaries. While Sundar got that wicket in the 12th over of that innings, he dismissed Jonny Bairstow in his next over, who scored 20 runs.

Captain Eoin Morgan (28) and Ben Stokes (24) also lost their wickets at the 20s as Shardul Thakur picked up those wickets.

Both Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur both finished with complete identical bowling figures of 4-0-29-2.

Brief Scores: England – 164/6 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 46, Eoin Morgan 28; Washington Sundar 2/29, Shardul Thakur 2/29)

India – 166/3 in 17.5 overs (Virat Kohli 73*, Ishan Kishan 56; Sam Curran 1/22)

Result – India won by 7 wickets