NEW DELHI: India captain: Shreyas Iyer refused to blame Ravi Bishnoi despite the leg-spinner’s costly 17th which proved decisive in England’s four-wicket win in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday.Chasing 191, England rode an unbeaten 76 off Jacob Bethell to reach the target with extra left over. The turning point came in the 17th over when Bishnoi leaked 29 runs, allowing England to seize complete control of the chase.
The more that changed the game
India looked firmly in control after reducing England to 142/5 in 16 overs. But the game went from bad to worse in the 17th over. Bishnoi started with a no-ball, which Bethell dispatched for a six from a free hit. The spinner then bowled another no-ball, and Bethell continued the attack with another six, a four, another six, with singles and doubles, getting 29 runs from the over.Although the over proved costly, Iyer stood by his young spinner after the match.“I think we all know where it went but I don’t want to point to one particular player. I said, okay he will come back strong after (the first no-ball). But the 17th over haunted us.
“It’s an amazing score”
The Indian skipper believed his team had posted a winning total on a challenging surface that offered uneven bounce.“I think it’s a fantastic 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 turning the tide of the chase with his aggressive batting. He also felt that England checked the conditions carefully before launching their attack.“They checked the dimensions of the ground and the wicket early,” he said.The Indian captain had special praise for the young England batter’s fearless mindset.“He has that immovable character where he’s fearless. The way he approaches the nets… something to learn from him. I don’t expect him to be nervous.”Despite the disappointing loss, Iyer said the team will move on easily and focus on the third T20I.“Absolutely, I’m always in high spirits and I know that 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.