India kept their nerve to win the 2nd T20I at Nagpur by 5 runs and to level the series 1-1. This was mainly due to an excellent knock of 71 by KL Rahul and fine death bowling by Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra. Here is the complete Match report.

Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to field. India got off to a brisk start with Kohli and Rahul putting on 30 for the 1stwicket before Kohli was caught by Liam Dawson at long on off the bowling of Chris Jordan for 21. The wicket was devoid of any grass and was not conducive to stroke play. After the fall of Kohli’s wicket, Rahul became the aggressor and went after the bowling. However, some tight bowling by England and the regular fall of wickets robbed the Indian innings of momentum. Kohli promoted Manish Pandey ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the batting order but Pandey was unable to force the pace and find the boundary.

Rahul played a fine innings and was finally dismissed when he struck a slower delivery from Jordan straight into the hands of Ben Stokes at mid-wicket. His 71 came off 47 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes. Hardik Pandya was run out for 2 off 3 balls. India lost 5 wickets in the last 3 overs and finished with a score of 144/8. Only 3 Indian batsmen reached double figures. Moeen Ali was once again brilliant with the ball, conceding just 20 runs off his 4 overs and picked up 1 wicket. Jordan was brilliant at the death and claimed 3 wickets in his 4 overs, giving away only 22 runs. However, India were still in with a chance if they bowled and fielded well.

Kohli opened the bowling with Yuzvendra Chahal and the leg spinner got India off to a great start conceding just 2 runs off the first over. The wily veteran, Ashish Nehra also began well and England scored just 7 runs off the first 2 overs. Nehra struck with the first 2 balls off the 4th over, getting the wickets of Sam Billings and Jason Roy. Billings was well caught by Jasprit Bumrah on the fine leg fence. Eoin Morgan was the next man in and he averted the hat-trick. Morgan and Joe Root stitched together a partnership of 43 before Morgan tried to heave Mishra for a six, but holed out to Pandya on the mid-wicket fence.

Ben Stokes was the next man and he took his time to settle in as the required run rate was within manageable proportions. However, he soon opened up and clouted a couple of sixes. England needed 28 runs off 20 balls with 7 wickets in hand and were in the driver’s seat. Bumrah bowled a fantastic 18thover, giving away just 3 runs and the equation was down to 24 runs off 12 balls. The dangerous Jos Buttler, hammered Nehra for a four through mid-wicket and a six over long on to bring the equation down to 8 required off the last over. Nehra completed his spell of 4 overs, conceding 28 runs and picked up 3 vital wickets.

Root was adjudged LBW, to the first ball of the last over from Bumrah and a tense finish looked on the cards. Bumrah was bowling well disguised slower deliveries and the English batsmen were unable to get hold of him. England needed 7 runs off 3 balls when Buttler tried to pull Bumrah and was bowled. He scored 15 runs off 10 balls with a four and a six. Jordan scampered for a bye off the penultimate ball and England needed a six off the last ball to emerge victorious. Bumrah bowled a dot ball and India emerged victorious by 5 runs. For his outstanding spell of 4/0/20/3, Bumrah was named the Man of the Match.

The 3rd and deciding T20I commences at Bangalore on the 1stof February.