India showcased resilience and composure to secure a thrilling two-wicket victory over England in the second T20I at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Tilak Varma was the star of the night with an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, guiding India to a challenging target of 166 on a tricky Chennai wicket.
England opted to bat first but found themselves restricted to 165/9 in their 20 overs by India’s disciplined bowling attack. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel were the standout performers, each claiming two wickets and slowing England's progress. England's captain Jos Buttler anchored the innings with a crucial 45, while late runs from Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith pushed England to a competitive total.
In reply, India’s top order struggled against a pitch offering assistance to the bowlers. However, Tilak Varma's calm and composed batting under pressure kept the chase alive. Washington Sundar played a valuable knock of 26, adding crucial runs in the tense chase. Despite Brydon Carse’s best efforts with the ball, claiming 3/29, India managed to cross the line with two wickets to spare.
With this hard-fought victory, India now leads the series 2-0. England will need to regroup quickly to stay alive in the contest as the series heads to its third game.
Jos Buttler (England Skipper):
"Really competitive match. Full credit to Tilak's match-winning performance. Our aggressive approach created opportunities, kept them under pressure. Very satisfied with our batting intent - despite losing wickets, we maintained our attacking style. Jamie Smith's innings was outstanding. While there's room for improvement, we're committed to this approach."
Suryakumar Yadav (Indian Skipper):
"Target of 160 felt competitive and our bowling executed well. The extra batting depth who can bowl has worked for us. While we play aggressively, today's situation required smart batting - really impressed with Tilak's knock. Bishnoi and Arshdeep's batting contributions show their practice is paying off. Team's on the same page with our goals and approach, which is key to our success."
Tilak Varma (Player of the Match):
"On this two-paced wicket, I adapted my game following Gautam sir's advice about situational batting. The left-right combination with Bishnoi worked well, making it tricky for bowlers. Our South Africa experience and net practice prepared us well. I just told Bishnoi to maintain his shape and find gaps."
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