Manchester [UK], July 4 (ANI): Indian all-rounder Axar Patel made history on Saturday, becoming the first spinner from Team India to reach 100 T20I wickets and only fourth bowler to do so.
During the second T20I against England at Manchester, Axar trapped a dangerous Harry Brook for a 15-ball 39 as England were chasing a competitive 191 run total.
Now, Axar stands as India’s fourth-highest T20I wicket-taker, with 100 scalps in 98 matches. In the top three are: Arshdeep Singh (134 scalps), Jasprit Bumrah (121 scalps) and Hardik Pandya (114 wickets).
Coming to the match, India opted to bat first and handed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a much anticipated international debut, making him the youngest Indian international player at 15 years and 99 days.
Sooryavanshi could last only 10 balls, scoring 14 on his debut with two sixes. Meanwhile Abhishek Sharma (43 in 24 balls, with eight fours and a six) and Shreyas Iyer (37 in 22 balls, with three fours and a six) played entertaining knocks.
Ishan Kishan (49 in 40 balls, with six fours) put up 65 runs for third wicket with Iyer. Following that, India collapsed from 130/2 to 165/6. Tilak Varma (24* in 11 balls, with a four and two sixes) played a quickfire cameo to take India to 190/7 in 20 overs.
Sam Curran (3/33) was England’s best bowler.
In the chase, England lost both their openers, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler for ducks, their first time ever in T20Is. However, England made a solid enough recovery courtesy a quickfire knock from skipper Harry Brook (39 in 15 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), who put a fifty-run stand with Jacob Bethell.
Bethell put in a 67-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tom Banton (39 in 32 balls, with six fours) before Banton and Will Jacks’ wickets reduced England to 133/5 in 15.2 overs.
Bethell (76* in 46 balls, with five fours and five sixes) changed the course of the game by upping the gears in slog overs, ending the chase in 19 overs with Jofra Archer (10*). England take 1-0 lead in five match series, with three matches left for India to make an impact. The first T20I ended in a washout. (ANI)
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