Manchester, July 4: England clinched a four-wicket victory over India, thanks to an unbeaten 76 from Jacob Bethell, to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series on Saturday.
The first match of the series had been washed out.
Chasing a target of 191, England reached 191/6 in 19 overs despite an early setback. India’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh struck twice in his opening spell, dismissing both Phil Salt and Jos Buttler for ducks to leave the hosts reeling.
Harry Brook (39) and Tom Banton (39) steadied the innings with valuable contributions before Bethell anchored the chase with a match-winning 46-ball knock, smashing five fours and five sixes to guide England home with an over to spare.
Earlier, India posted a competitive 190/7 after being asked to bat. Openers Abhishek Sharma (43 off 24 balls) and Ishan Kishan (49 off 40) laid a solid foundation, while Shreyas Iyer added a brisk 37. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 24 to provide the finishing touches.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his much-anticipated international debut, becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record. The teenager scored 14 off 10 balls, including two sixes, before being dismissed.
For England, Sam Curran was the standout bowler with figures of 3/33.
Brief Scores:
India: 190/7 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 49, Abhishek Sharma 43, Shreyas Iyer 37, Tilak Varma 24*; Sam Curran 3/33)
England: 191/6 in 19 overs (Jacob Bethell 76*, Harry Brook 39, Tom Banton 39; Arshdeep Singh 3/40)
With the win, England move 1-0 ahead in the five-match T20I series.
