NEW DELHI: Captain India Shreyas Iyer refused to blame Ravi Bishnoi despite the leg-spinner’s 17th cost for proving decisive in England’s four-wicket win in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday.Chasing 191, England rode on an unbeaten 76 from Jacob Bethell to reach the target with an over to share. The turning point came in the 17th over, when Bishnoi leaked 29 runs, allowing England to take complete control of the chase.
The more that changed the game
India looked firmly in command after reducing England to 142/5 in 16 overs. But the game changed dramatically in the 17th.Bishnoi started with a no-ball, which Bethell dispatched for a six off the free hit. The spinner then bowled another no-ball, and Bethell continued the onslaught with another six, four, another six, with singles and doubles, taking 29 runs from the over.Although he proved to be dear, Iyer stood by his young spinner after the match.“I think we all know where he went, but I don’t want to pinpoint any particular player. I was like, okay, he’s going to come back strong after that (the first no-ball). But the 17th haunted us. But he’s got to learn,” Iyer said.
“It was a phenomenal score”
The India captain believed his team had posted a winning total on a challenging surface that offered uneven bounce.“I thought it was a phenomenal score on this pitch with variable bounce. First 15 overs we were on top of the game, but suddenly – credit to the way Jacob played,” he added.Iyer credited Jacob Bethell for changing the course of the chase with his aggressive batting. He also felt that England had assessed the conditions well before launching their attack.“They analyzed the dimensions of the ground and the wicket first,” he said.The India captain had special praise for the fearless mentality of the young England batsman.“He had that unflinching attitude where he is not afraid. The way he hits the nets … something to learn from him. I did not anticipate that he was nervous.”Despite the disappointing defeat, Iyer said the team will move on quickly and focus on the third T20I.“Absolutely, I’m still in high spirits and I know this is the lowest you can go,” he concluded.The third T20I of the five-match series will be played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 7.
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