Jacob Bethell of England bats during the 2nd T20I between England and India at Old Trafford on July 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo/Getty Images)
The spotlight ahead of the match was on Indian teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made his international debut. But by the end of the match, it was England’s Jacob Bethell who stole the show, leading his side to a four-wicket win over the world champions in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester.Bethel’s unbeaten 76 off 46 balls helped England chase down 191 with one over to spare, giving the hosts a four-wicket win in the second match of the five-match series on Saturday.
The left-hander hit five sixes and five fours, to lead the chase after England lost both openers, Phil Salt and skipper Jos Buttler, for ducks in the first over to Arshdeep Singh.Harry Brook then counter-attacked with a quick 39 to steady England before Bethell and Tom Banton, who also made 39, rebuilt the innings with key partnerships.Bethel accelerated at the right time and took full advantage of Ravi Bishnoi’s errors. The spinner went over three times during the chase, including two in the 17th over. The 29 runs conceded by Ravi Bishnoi in the 17th over were the third-most by an Indian bowler in overs of T20Is, after 34 by Shivam Dubey against New Zealand in 2020 and 32 by Stuart Binnie against West Indies in 2016.India looked to be in control for most of the innings, especially after Axar Patel’s four-run spell, which cost just 20 runs and fetched one wicket.
However, Bishnoi’s spell proved costly as he finished the game with figures of 0 for 60 in four overs, allowing England to regain control.With the opener over, England now lead the group 1-0 with three matches remaining.Earlier, India had scored 190 for seven after being asked to bat.The match marked Suryavanshi’s international debut as he became India’s youngest international cricketer at the age of 15 years and 99 days, breaking the record held by Sachin Tendulkar long ago.The teenager scored 14 from 10 balls, hitting two goals before being sent off.Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start with 43 off 24 balls, while Ishan Kishan made 49 off 40. Captain Shreyas Iyer added 37 off 22, as Kishan and Iyer put together a 65-run stand for the third wicket.Tilak Varma remained unbeaten in 24 off 11 deliveries to push India to a competitive total.For England, left-arm pacer Sam Curran was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 33.Abbreviated degrees:INdia 190/7 In 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 43, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 14, Shreyas Iyer 37, Ishan Kishan 49, Tilak Varma 24 not out; Sam Curran 3/33); lost to England 191/6 In 19 overs (Harry Brook 39, Jacob Bethell 76 not out, Tom Banton 39; Arshdeep Singh 3/40).