Student member Angelina Nayar attended the second T20I between England and India in Manchester as part of the Cricket Media Club’s Bethan James Bursary. Please enjoy her match report from the game.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s eagerly anticipated India debut ended in defeat as Jacob Bethell’s composure guided England to a four-wicket victory in the second T20 international at Old Trafford.
After Wednesday’s washout at Chester-le-Street, the series finally burst into life under clear Manchester skies, with much of the pre-match attention centred on India’s decision to hand 15-year-old Sooryavanshi his first international cap.
Cheers erupted from the India fans as the teenage opener replaced Sanju Samson to become India’s youngest men’s international debutant, surpassing the record previously held by Sachin Tendulkar. The schoolboy earned his opportunity during a remarkable Indian Premier League campaign in which he topped the run-scoring charts with 776 runs at a strike-rate of 237.30 for Rajasthan Royals.
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat, immediately handing the spotlight to his teenage opener.
Sooryavanshi started swung and missed at his first couple of deliveries but kicked into gear with a pair of mighty sixes off Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue to announce himself on the international stage. He played the junior role in an opening stand of 50 with Abhishek Sharma and departed with 14 from 10 balls when attempting an expansive drive at Will Jacks, losing his shape completely and overbalancing to be stumped by Jos Buttler.
After the match, Ishan Kishan backed Sooryavanshi to become a key player for India.
โHe has been doing so well for the past two years and he has been that difference coming into this side,โ Kishan said.
“I feel like you can realise how talented he is and what changes he can bring to the team. So you just look to take care of him, as a senior player. We just look to be there for him, share whatever he’s asking, our experience, and what ways we can help him.”
Despite the early setback, India maintained the momentum through Kishan and Iyer as Phil Salt came close to a spectacular one-handed catch on the boundary to dismiss Kishan, drawing an animated reaction from Adil Rashid.
Iyer then assumed control, swiftly putting four past Buttler before recovering from a painful blow to the finger from Tongue to continue his fluent innings, but his stay ended immediately after another authoritative boundary as Tom Banton judged a towering catch superbly at deep cover off the final ball of the over.
England thought they had removed Tilak Varma when Archer tumbled forward for an excellent low catch in the deep, but replays showed the ball had brushed the turf through his fingers as he completed it, allowing the batter a reprieve to the joy of India fans.
Varma smashed Archer into the stands for successive sixes as India bumped their total to 190 for seven at the end close.
England’s reply, meanwhile, could hardly have started worse.
Salt edged Arshdeep Singh behind before Buttler also departed in the opening over, leaving the hosts reeling at two wickets down almost immediately.
Skipper Harry Brook led by example for England, teeing off with three back-to-back boundaries off Harshit Rana, who leaked 27 from the over, but his fun was ended by a bit of excellent glovework from Kishan who gathered cleanly down the leg side.
Bethell then assumed responsibility for the chase as the left-hander settled England’s innings before accelerating through the middle overs, bringing up a measured half-century from 39 deliveries to keep the required rate under control.
Jacks fell attempting an ambitious reverse sweep against Varun Chakravarthy, hitting his front boot with no inside edge on it, while Sam Curran’s late cameo ended when he picked out Sooryavanshi on the boundary, allowing the teenager to claim his first international catch.
Any hopes of India forcing a dramatic finish were extinguished by Bethell and Archer, who calmly guided England home with four wickets in hand and an over to spare, giving the hosts their first victory of the series while stealing some of the spotlight away from India’s teenage sensation.
However, Bethell was full of praise for his young opponent afterwards.
“It’s weird to say that I’m playing against someone seven years younger than me,” he said.
“But I’ve watched him back in India and watched him today, and the swing and everything else is pure. He’s an unbelievable talent.
“Today’s game is just another notch in the right direction in terms of confidence for us as a group. We don’t look at the scoreboard too much and worry in those situations, but just know that we have players who can do the job.”