ENG VS IND, 2nd T20I: 3 Unnoticed things from the match

After coasting to an easy win in the tour opener, India was up against a determined English side who were eager to turn the tables after the spin debacle in the first game at Old Trafford.

On a certain slow pitch, England won the toss and invited the hosts to put runs on the board. It was a remarkable start for the hosts as they wreaked havoc in that batting order to send their top three packing within the first six overs.

However, skipper Kohli along with Suresh Raina got the innings back on track before Raina was stumped in his attempt to go for the biggie. At the back end of the innings, it was Dhoni’s late surge that propelled India to 148, a total which was just par at that sort of surface.

Chasing a modest 149 to level the series, England saw the attack from the first ball with 14 from the first over. However, India pulled back things with quick wickets in the powerplay to prevent the hosts from going anything big in the first six overs.

But Morgan and Hales maintained a decent flow of the runs to see their side in the driver seat. In the end, the target proved to be an easy cake walk as England cruised to victory to take the series in the decider.

Here’s a look at some of the things that went unnoticed:

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#1 England bowlers opting for shorter lengths

Rohit fell to a rising ball in his attempt to pull it over backward square leg but could only manage a top edge to be caught inside the 30-yard circle

After a disappointing show in the first match, England looked a much better side with their plans against a batting heavy Indian team.

The bowlers were looked more confident in their skills and brought in better execution to support their cause. On shorter straight boundaries at Sophia Gardens, seamers were reluctant to pitch the ball full in the batsmen’s arc.

They opted for shorter lengths to make efficient use of the larger square boundaries and were instrumental in not only containing the flow of runs but even managed success against the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

Rohit fell to a rising ball in his attempt to pull it over backward square leg but could only manage a top edge to be caught inside the 30-yard circle.

The ploy to bowl short even worked in the death overs as Kohli became the latest victim as he went for a pull but could barely manage a hit it straight on the throat of the fielder at fine leg.

#2 Suresh Raina gets most runs for himself in a Calendar year

Raina has scored 1044 runs in 2018

Suresh Raina, undoubtedly, has been the Mr Consistent for India in this format of the game. With nearly 5000 runs in the eleven editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and over 1500 runs for India in the shortest format, Raina is one of finest T20 batsmen India has ever produced.

The Southpaw has grown by leaps and bounds to serve as a major asset for India and his franchise at IPL. His ability to score runs at a quick pace is always a headache in the opposition camp.

The testimony to this fact has been his habit of piling runs year after year. As one of his most successful year as a T20 batsman, Raina has mustered 1044 runs in 2018 to surpass his previous best of 1042 runs, way back in 2010.

He was also the first player to register a century for India in T20Is when he scored a fluent 101 against South Africa in T20 World Cup in 2010.

#3 Indians with their 500th match against England

Dhoni played his 500th game against England at their home soil to feature in the illustrious list along with India’s two greatest batsmen

Every cricketer recognizes honour and takes pride to don the jersey for his country at the highest level. And only a few get the opportunity to prolong their careers as much as these three pioneers in Indian Cricket have managed to do.

The list boasts about the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni, the only players who have played more than 500 International games for India at the highest level.

On top of it, a very interesting fact connects the trio with each one of them playing their 500th game against England.

Sachin, who has played 664 matches, was the first from the country to achieve this feat in 2006.

While Rahul did it 2011, Dhoni played his 500th game against England at their home soil to feature in the illustrious list along with India’s two greatest batsmen.

It is a matter of pride and honour for India’s best skipper to represent the nation for such a long period of time and assures to continue for at least a year until the World Cup next year.

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