Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra picked expensive overs from Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi as the turning points in India’s four-wicket loss against England in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday.
While Singh was taken for 27 runs by England skipper Harry Brook in the third over, Bishnoi was smashed for 29 runs by Jacob Bethell. Bishnoi bowled two back-foot no-balls, and Bethell was able to make the most of them.
India posted 190 runs on the board, and they had their noses in front after Arshdeep Singh got the early wickets of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler.
“56 runs in two overs, 27 in Arshdeep’s and 29 in Ravi Bishnoi’s, and the match finished there because you didn’t have 225 to defend. What you had was getting defended. In fact, 58 runs were required in 28 balls at one stage. The match was in India’s grasp, but after that, Jacob Bethell, that Ravi Bishnoi over, and the game got over,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
In the last four T20Is, India have suffered three losses, whereas one match was abandoned due to rain.
“We were not losing a single match before we won the World Cup, and now we are not winning a single match. We have lost three consecutive games, and one match got washed out. We are still waiting for our first win after the World Cup,” he observed.
On the other hand, Chopra highlighted that England conceded only nine runs in their 16th and 17th over whereas Indian bowlers were taken for 39 runs in those two overs.
“I will talk about two overs. In my opinion, our 16th and 17th overs and their 16th and 17th overs were very important. Small stories are always hidden in a big story. Only nine runs came in their 16th and 17th overs. Sam Curran gave only two runs in the 16th over and picked up a wicket. Will Jacks gave only seven runs in the 17th over,” he said.
“When we bowled, Varun Chakaravarthy gave 10 runs in the 16th over, although a wicket fell in that over for sure. However, 29 runs went in the over after that. We gave 39 runs in two overs, and the opposing team gave only nine runs in the same two overs. There was a difference of 30 runs there. This is absolutely massive. A win or loss was decided there,” Chopra observed.
The third T20I between England and India will be played at Nottingham on Tuesday.
