3 things India need to do right to beat England in the 2nd T20I ft. Suryakumar Yadav

Despite their struggles in Tests, Team India have been on top of their game in white-ball cricket. Over the last year or two, the Men in Blue have stood out more in T20Is than the other two formats, and that trend has continued under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir.

As things currently stand, India are 1-0 up against England in the five-match series by their commanding seven-wicket win in the opening T20I at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The two teams are now hours away from locking horns in the second game, to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

What can India do from a tactical perspective? Changes are inevitable for the hosts, with a couple of players suffering injuries and others being added to the squad as replacements.

India’s updated squad for the T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat England in the second T20I.

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#3 Axar Patel might need to be used earlier with the ball

T20 International Cricket Match England And India - Source: Getty

In the first T20I, Axar Patel's first over went for 16 runs as he was hit for two sixes. Following that, Suryakumar Yadav took him out of the attack and needed to bowl three of his overs in the back half of the innings.

While Axar did well, picking up two wickets and keeping things tight for the remainder of his spell by conceding just six runs in those three overs, things might need to change in Chennai. India's current combination requires them to use Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy as their premier death-bowling options.

Ben Duckett's presence at the top of the order might prevent Axar from taking the new ball, but if the southpaw is dismissed early, bringing him on in the powerplay should be a real option.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav could use an extra pace option in Chennai

England Tour Of India : India Practice Session Ahead Of First T20 Match In Kolkata. - Source: Getty

Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the series against England, and Shivam Dube and Ramandeep Singh have been added to the squad. Both fast-bowling all-rounders might not be ready to take to the field in the second T20I, and India might thus need to bring an extra pace option - Mohammed Shami or Harshit Rana - into the mix.

Even otherwise, the Men in Blue might need to pick an additional fast bowler to support Arshdeep and Hardik Pandya. Chepauk has aided pacers at times, and with the threat of dew looming over the second innings, having just two quick options could seriously dent Suryakumar's plans.

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#1 India need to be cautious against Jofra Archer and attack the rest

India v England - 1st T20I - Source: Getty

The first T20I saw Jofra Archer dish out a deadly four-over spell to kick off the chase. The dynamic England pacer hit the 147 kph mark and generated considerable bounce to trouble Sanju Samson, who is usually a comfortable player of fast bowling.

The rest of England's bowling attack, however, were underwhelming. Mark Wood cranked it up, but he and the rest of his teammates couldn't produce enough wicket-taking opportunities. The visitors have thus made a change, bringing in Brydon Carse for Gus Atkinson, who was taken to the cleaners in Kolkata.

India's batting approach should be straightforward - don't take too many risks against Archer, especially with the lineup losing a bit of depth, and relentlessly attack the rest.