AHMEDABAD, India, (Reuters) – A whirlpool 56 off 32 balls off India’s first, Ishan Kishan, and an unbeaten 73 by captain Virat Kohli helped the hosts win a staggering seven wickets over England in their second Twenty20 International Ahmedabad yesterday.
Kishan, 22, smashed leg spinner Adil Rashid for six in a row to go past fifty as India short-shot a target of 165 runs to win with 13 balls to spare and level the five-game series at 1 -1.
India’s 164-6 hunt in England got off to a shaky start when Sam Curran sent opener KL Rahul back in the first game without scoring but did not curb Kishan’s aggressive behavior, the left wing hitting five fours and four sixes in total.
There was plenty of entertainment for the substantial crowd at the world’s biggest cricket stadium, with most fans not wearing masks in the stands, as Kohli and Kishan added 94 in nine overs.
Rishabh Pant came in after dismissing Kishan, dropped by Ben Stokes on 40 off Rashid, and continued to pump English bowlers with a 13-ball 26, when he hit two sixes and an identical number of four.
Kohli, who also survived a discounted chance by wicket keeper Jos Buttler on 10 off Chris Jordan, sealed the victory with four and six off the ball in a row to get past 3,000 runs in the T20 internationals in the process.
Jason Roy scored the top for England once again with a 35-ball 46, following up on his beating of 49 in their win in Friday’s first game.
Put into batting, the right wing gave the traveling team a steady start with a 63 run stand for the second wicket with Dawid Malan following the loss of opening Buttler partner to sailor Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the first delivery which he faced.
Roy struck out four fours and two sixes before beating out in the Washington Sundar deep thrower, which sent the dangerous Jonny Bairstow back for 20 as well.
Fast bowler Shardul Thakur pegged England’s hopes of a prosperous finish back by dismissing opposition captain Eoin Morgan and Stokes as India surrendered just 35 off the last five overs.
The third game of the series will be played tomorrow.