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It needed calm heads but England’s batsmen were exasperating yet again

will macpherson
·37-min read
Harry Brook
Harry Brook, failing to pick Varun Chakravarthy’s googly again, is clean bowled - Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images

England’s efforts with the ball were magnificent but they ended a pulsating game in Chennai 2-0 down in this five-match series because their batting let them down.

This was not a humbling such as the one England received in Kolkata on Wednesday. In a wild ride of a game, they were much improved, but still not good enough, as India completed their chase of 166 with four balls and two wickets to spare. England’s downfall was fundamentally the same as at Eden Gardens: a lost toss, a failure to understand what India’s spinners are doing with the ball, then some wonderful batting from the IPL’s new breed of aggressive young batsmen.

Then, it was 24-year-old Abhishek Sharma. Now, it was 22-year-old Tilak Varma, who batted with immense responsibility from No 3 to shepherd a chase stuttering in the face of the “absolute rockets” the coach Brendon McCullum had ordered, and England’s bowlers, led by Brydon Carse, delivered. Virat Kohli retired from T20 duty after last year’s World Cup win; Varma did the master chaser proud in his old position.

Carse described Varma’s unbeaten 72 from 54 balls as a “really mature, smart innings”. Unwittingly, he had struck upon exactly what England had missed with their own, more experienced batting. By the end of the 13th over, England’s top six – all their specialist batsmen – were gone, and many of them in familiar, frustrating fashion. It was left to Carse, recalled at No 8, to lead a tail-end rescue act and carry England to a score that was under par, but not indefensible. Carse hit three handsome sixes in his 17-ball 31 before being run out by Jofra Archer, who endured a difficult night.

It was an exasperating performance from England’s top six, who approached setting a target like a team with far deeper batting resources than they actually have. Carse and Jamie Overton should be coming in to launch sixes at the death, not building a score through the middle against tricky spinners. In a careless, thoughtless display, no one took responsibility for the situation as Varma would for India.

Again, Phil Salt failed to survive Arshdeep Singh’s first over, and Ben Duckett fell soon after, attempting to reverse-sweep the first ball bowled by a spinner, the all-rounder Washington Sundar. With no smog to speak of, Harry Brook again failed to pick Varun Chakravarthy’s beautiful wrong ’un, while a string of middle-order batsmen were caught on the fence trying to launch spinners for six.

Ben Duckett
Ben Duckett was caught reverse sweeping for three as both openers departed cheaply for the second successive match - Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images

The situation called for calculation and calm heads, but England could not deliver. Buttler had batted beautifully again for his 45 but having gone 13 balls without a boundary, looked to send Axar Patel into the stands at cow corner, only to be comfortably caught. Liam Livingstone, who feels a place too high at No 5, especially with more cultured players such as Jacob Bethell or, on this occasion, Jamie Smith below him, could not resist a smear to deep square-leg. Smith, on debut in place of the unwell Bethell, looked in total control against Sharma’s part-timers before also holing out. If this team is going to bat with such aggression, Bethell must return in place of Overton, with Livingstone slipping down to No 7 as the finisher.

“Under par, but in the game,” was Carse’s assessment of the half-time equation. Their seamers gave them hope. At a venue famed for its turn, India had delivered 14 consecutive overs of spin, using five different bowlers, between the fourth and 17th overs. The loss of Bethell meant England had only Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone and a battery of right-arm quicks to call on. It was a clash of styles, and one which sees England out of keeping with the times. On the same day, the SA20’s Paarl Royals became the first team in the short history of franchise cricket to bowl a full 20-over innings exclusively using spin. They won, with Joe Root bowling his full allocation, including a winning spell at the death. In T20 variety is the spice of life, but England cannot even find space for a left-armer.

Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid bowled beautifully but cannot carry the frontline spin attack on his own - R.SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

Their approach is route one: bowl fast, and keep taking wickets. It worked, with Mark Wood and Archer each picking up wickets with 92mph deliveries in the powerplay, then Carse – replacing Gus Atkinson – striking in his first two overs with his usual method, hammering away at a hard length. So far, he is England’s player of the winter. When Hardik Pandya gloved Overton’s first ball behind, India were 78 for five, and it was all on Varma.

A beautiful contrast to England’s quicks was provided by Rashid, who made up for a horrible drop at mid-on by bowling with such guile, reducing his pace to 41mph and proving virtually unhittable. The same was not true of Archer, who conceded a staggering 60 runs in four overs, his most in all T20s. The fact that 47 were flayed behind square, many of them off the edge, is evidence that he bowled far better than the figures suggest.

England's Jofra Archer bowls during the second Twenty20 international cricket match between India and England at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on January 25, 2025
Jofra Archer went for 60 runs in his four overs, taking one wicket - Getty Images/R Satish Babu

Archer’s last over, the 16th, went for 19, which put India in control, even as wickets fell. Varma was the coolest head in an increasingly frenzied stadium, and as much as Archer’s figures were gruesome, England were left to rue their wasteful batting.

05:24 PM GMT

Jos Buttler at the presentation

It was exciting, a great game. All credit to Tilak for getting them over the line. Maybe we left a few runs out there with the bat but I’m pleased with the way we went about it with the bat. You always want more but I’m really happy with the style, really happy with the performance. We created a lot of chances, really pushed them close. There was the aggression we asked for, and it was nearly a defendable score. Jamie Smith on debut playing the way he did, Brydon Carse and the guys creating chances with the ball.

India are always going to play three spinners and they’re always going to take wickets but if they are going to take wickets I am happy if we take them for some runs as well.

05:02 PM GMT

OVER 19.2: IND 162/8 (Tilak 68 Bishnoi 9)

Brilliant from Tilak, off-driving out of the blockhole for four.

India win by two wickets with four balls to spare.

05:01 PM GMT

OVER 19.1: IND 162/8 (Tilak 68 Bishnoi 9)

Livingstone saves the boundary with a brilliant dive at deep backwards quare bit they run two. Boy that was hit hard.

04:59 PM GMT

OVER 19: IND 160/8 (Tilak 66 Bishnoi 9)

Overton is entrusted with the 19th over, meaning Wood will bowl the last, if we get that far.

But then Buttler changes his mind at the last and calls up Livingstone. Another bold gamble. But pace on is bold, too, given how far the ball is flying off the bat.

Tilak turns down a single to long off.

Then refuses another to short fine leg.

He pats the third ball to midwicket and calls Bishnoi through for two, England missing the slight run out chance because the fielder had to make 40m in from the rope.

Tilak sweeps for a single. Two balls to come, eight needed.

Bishnoi takes on the leg-break and slices a drive over cover point for four.

Livingstone pins him with the last ball and sends it upstairs when the umpire shakes his head but I think it was missing leg stump.

Indeed it was pitching outside leg.

India need six and Jamie Overton will bowl the 20th over.

04:51 PM GMT

OVER 18: IND 153/8 (Tilak 63 Bishnoi 5)

Tilak turns down a single then they work three singles off Carse into the legside. But then Carse errs too straight and Bishnoi whisks it off middle through midwicket for four.

India need 13 off two.

04:48 PM GMT

OVER 17: IND 146/8 (Tilak 61 Bishnoi 0)

Tilak plays Rashid very cautiously, defending the first four and then plays tip and run to cover. One ball at Arshdeep to come. They lay the trap and he falls right into it.

Rashid finishes with 4-0-14-1.

04:45 PM GMT

Wicket!

Arshdeep c Archer b Rashid 6 England set him up off the last ball of the over, the only delivery he faced. They called up a slip and leg slip to encourage him to slog, laid the bait on middle and off and he skied his slog sweep to deep backward square. FOW 146/8

04:42 PM GMT

OVER 16: IND 145/7 (Tilak 60 Arshdeep 6)

Buttler now turns to Archer for his final over and Tilak harnesses the pace to his advantage. He streakily but deliberately top edges a pull for six and then backs away to carve another over cover point. His fifty came off 39 balls.

Arshdeep puts India ahead when he backs away and Archer arrows the yorker on to leg stump and he bottom edged it past the stumps for four. He ends the over with a slash over point to make it 19 off the over. Archer ends with 4-0-60-1 and the game looks gone without a wicket in the next couple of deliveries.

It is by Archer’s costliest ever spell:

Archer’s T20 record for club and country

04:37 PM GMT

OVER 15: IND 126/7 (Tilak 47 Arshdeep 0)

Livingstone starts with two off-breaks that are tapped for singles to mid-on but Tilak then goes funky and reverse sweeps for four over point. The Lancashire all-rounder runs to mid-on to field off his own bowling and keep another drive down to a single. Props to Buttler for the bowling change. When he was slog swept for four there must have been a few butterflies but two balls later he winkled out the other left-hander.

04:35 PM GMT

Wicket!

Axar c Duckett b Livingstone 2  A bold gamble pays off. Axar called for his heavier bat, went for the slog sweep and picks out the midwicket boundary rider.  FOW 126/7

04:32 PM GMT

OVER 14: IND 119/6 (Tilak 41 Axar 1)

What a terrific contribution from Carse so far, 31 off 17 with the bat, a catch and 3-0-22-3 so far.

Carse, Wood, Archer and Rashid have one over each left, Overton two. But Buttler trurns to Livingstone with two left-handers at the crease. Big, big gamble this.

04:28 PM GMT

Wicket!

Sundar b Carse 26 Backed off, trying to dab it wide of the slips but completely missed it as the ball skidded on and thumped into the top of middle and leg. FOW 116/6

04:26 PM GMT

OVER 13: IND 113/5 (Tilak 38 Sundar 25)

Wood has two overs left and is brought back on. Rashid denies him the wicket his pace has deserved when he drops a back-foot slap, creamed on the up by Sundar, at mid-on. The ball comes ta him hard at shoulder height but he got both hands to it and should have held on. Regrettably it burst through his hands. They run a single. Tilak is tucked up by a bouncer and cloths his pull… safely three pitches across and just beyond Wood’s grasp as he changed direction in his followthrough.

Wood oversteps, conceding a free hit that Sundar pulls over deep backward square for six and the all-rounder clears the front leg to swipe four over mid-off followed by another, the left-hander panning it cros-batted over mid-off again.

India need 53 from 42. England need wickets.

That’s a poor drop from Rashid at mid-on at a vital moment. England need to keep chipping away with wickets but the rate is not out of control for India, who still have Axar to come.

You cannot help but feel that the game has turned on that Wood over. A bad drop from Rashid let Washington off, then Wood overstepped. The free hit went for six and the next two for four. England need wickets sharp.

04:18 PM GMT

OVER 12: IND 95/5 (Tilak 36 Sundar 10)

Overton sprays his first ball on to Sundar’s pads and he whisks it to long leg. Rashid runs round the rope, dives to stop it but, on replay, it transpires a spike brushed the foam Toblerone and the umpire signals four. Overton, piqued, goes for the bouncer that takes off and trampolines over Salt for five wides. Overton gathers himself to concede only a single and a two off the final four balls.

India need 71 off 48.

04:15 PM GMT

OVER 11: IND 82/5 (Tilak 34 Sundar 1)

Excellent again from Rashid who racks up three dot balls with flight and dip. Sundar flicks a single through square leg and drills a drive to long off for another. Tilak slaps a drive to point for his.

04:11 PM GMT

OVER 10: IND 79/5 (Tilak 34 Sundar 1)

Terrific over from Overton, which also incorporated drinks on the fall of Jurel’s wicket, beating Sundar outside off until he got off the mark by squirting a single down through third man.

Mark Wood
Mark Wood bounces back with his first wicket since his injury in August - Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images

04:04 PM GMT

Wicket!

Hardik c Salt b Overton 7 Bags him with his first ball, back of a length, quick and outside off. Hardik was trying to chop it through third man but it didn’t get up as much as he thought it might and gloved it through to the keeper. FOW 78/5

04:04 PM GMT

OVER 9: IND 78/4 (Tilak 34 Hardik 7)

Rashid beats Tilak with his googly but there’s no justice as it flies off the edge between point and the third man fielder for four.  Varying his pace with every ball, using flight judiciously, Rashid may not be taking wickets but he is contributing.

04:01 PM GMT

OVER 8: IND 71/4 (Tilak 29 Hardik 5)

These wickets are the opposite of explosions, silencing a vibrant crowd. But they find their exuberance and cheer again when Hardik gets off the mark by creaming a cover drive for four.

03:56 PM GMT

Wicket!

Jurel c sub (Rehan) b Carse 4  Skids on quickly and plays with Jurel’s timing, making him drag a pull off the toe to Rehan Ahmed at short midwicket.  FOW 66/4

03:55 PM GMT

OVER 7: IND 63/3 (Tilak 27 Jurel 3)

Rashid comes on and they play him watchfully as he is turning the ball far more than the two India leggies. They take him for four singles, three off the bat, one off the pad.

03:54 PM GMT

OVER 6: IND 59/3 (Tilak 26 Jurel 1)

Carse is a victim of the same injustice as Archer, beating Tilak for pace witb his bouncer but standing hands on hips as it flies off the top edge of his pull for six.

No bother, though, as three balls later he bags the India captain. England’s bowlers have hauled them back into contention. Sundar for Reddy has weakened India’s batting a bit, too.

03:47 PM GMT

Wicket!

Suryakumar b Carse 12 Heavy ball, back of a length, nips back in and hits the angled bat quicker than he had predicted. The ball drops at the India captain’s feet and spins back on to the stumps. FOW 58/3

03:44 PM GMT

OVER 5: IND 51/2 (Suryakumar 12 Tilak 19)

Astonishing from young Tilak who steps away to leg to muscle four over cover point with a horizontal bat for four. Thinking he might back away again, Archer goes for the yorker but Tilak anticipates it and walks the other way then stoops to flick it over his shoulder for six despite it being 93 mph. Archer decides to tuck him up with the bouncer and Tilak takes it on, top-edging his pull straight over Salt’s head for another six!

Archer absolutely travelling, but that does not feel a totally fair reflection of how he’s bowled.

03:41 PM GMT

OVER 4: IND 34/2 (Suryakumar 12 Tilak 2)

Tilak is twice contained by pace, forced into a hurried backward defensive and swing at fresh air as he tried to hook. He reaches to cut a tramline jaywalker of a delivery for a single and then Suryakumar takes on the full inswinger and wafts it over midwicket, no’ but just clearing the fielder, for four.

03:36 PM GMT

OVER 3: IND 28/2 (Suryakumar 8 Tilak 1)

No doubt that the extreme pace of these two opening bowlers is making the batsmen think. Samson is struck on the left biceps as Archer follows his retreat to leg. Having spliced a pull for two, Archer’s pace ruffles him again and he spoons his pick-up shot down Carse’s throat.

Enter the India captain Suryakumar who gorges on width and throws his bat at at fuller but equally fast (92mph) delivery, slicing two of them for four as he gets off to a rollicking start.

A fine start from England’s quicks here. Samson, you sense, didn’t like it up him there. When we spoke to Jofra Archer the other night, he complained that he was short on luck in this format, so it’s good to see he’s on the board tonight.

03:30 PM GMT

Wicket!

Samson c Carse b Archer 5 Having been struck on the glove and then the upper arm, Samson tries to pull again but cannot handle the pace and line as it arrows towards his chest and slugs it off the maker’s name to deep backward square. FOW 19/2

03:27 PM GMT

OVER 2: IND 17/1 (Samson 3 Tilak 1)

Wood, even quicker than Archer beats Sanju Samson for pace, until the opener decides to play a stroke rather than having a whack, diverting the next ball off an open face for a single to third man. Wood, who can look pat-a-cake even at 90 mph, is unplayable when he can find some swing and seam, too. Magnificent delivery to dismiss the opener, shaping in.

03:24 PM GMT

Wicket!

Abhishek lbw b Wood 12 Undone by the sheer pace of Wood and some late movement off the seam Plumb as he was hit on the lower thigh and India lose one of their reviews. FOW 15/1

03:23 PM GMT

India review

Abhishek lbw b Wood Only salvation would be height, I think. Hit him on the back leg with one that nipped back at 92 mph.

03:21 PM GMT

OVER 1: IND 13/0 (Samson 1 Abhishek 12)

Archer starts with a rib-tickler that Samson fends off his body very close to Brook at short fine leg but it falls short and they scamper a single. Two slips in for the left-handed Abhishek who is beaten for pace and bounce as he has a swish but then times the pants off his lofted cover drive when Archer pitches it up. The ball flies away for four.

Abhishek retreats to the onside to free his arms and thumps another drive over extra-cover for four. To add insult to injury, England switch one of their boundary riders from deep point to cover and Abhishek chips a drive off the edge uppishly straight to the newly vacated position for a one-bounce four as Jofra breaches 93mph.

03:15 PM GMT

Jofra Archer will open the bowling

He has a slip but not the leg-slip and short leg with which he started at Eden Gardens.

03:13 PM GMT

Form book

On 14 occasions when a team batting first at Chennai in the IPL (there have been no T20Is since 2018) have made a total of 165 or below that, only three have managed to defend it successfully.

03:02 PM GMT

Halfway verdict

Well, better than the other day, but not enough, surely. England’s handling of spin was not quite as bad as the other day, but Brook again failed to pick Varun’s googly, and there were a total of six wickets to spin. England weren’t bowled out this time, mind.

03:01 PM GMT

OVER 20: ENG 165/9 (Archer 12 Wood 5)

Archer swings and misses at Arshdeep’s knuckle ball then plays the ball through his own legs off an inside edge for a single.

Wood is off the mark with a lovely dab for four then has a big swish at a fuller one, missing by misjudging the pace of the off-cutter.

Wood clubs the fifth ball cross-batted to mid-off for a single and Archer ends the innings by chiselling out the yorker for two.

02:57 PM GMT

OVER 19: ENG 157/9 (Archer 9 Wood 0)

India have already had two delays of more than a minute between overs and a third would hit them with a five-run penalty. They were skirting with it before this over but it seems the umpire gave then the hurry-up before they were penalised.

Rashid takes a single off the inside edge and another with that curtain rail drive over cover. Archer swats the slow bouncer for one to the cover sweeper then nails a drive that races to the same man so quickly that he can only take a single from it.

02:56 PM GMT

Wicket!

Rashid c Samson b Hardik 10  Threw the bat at another short cutter and feathered an edge through to the keeper. FOW 157/9

02:51 PM GMT

OVER 18: ENG 153/8 (Archer 7 Rashid 8)

After Arshdeep resumes with a bouncer deemed a wide, Archer works one off middle and leg for a single, Rashid drives over cover for two and takes a single with an ugly pull to midwicket. Archer ends the over skipping down to thump a cover drive for four.

02:47 PM GMT

OVER 17: ENG 144/8 (Archer 2 Rashid 5)

Pitiful. Yes, there’s a steep learning curve when you’re playing in India, but you need to stop shooting yourself in the foot. Enter Adil Rashid who breaks his wrists to square drive Bishnoi for four and then dabs a single. Archer, who cannot forgive himself for running Carse out, is in a fug of self-recrimination.

There were 14 overs of spin on the bounce there, bowled by five different men, but we are back to seam now.

02:44 PM GMT

Wicket!

Carse run out 30 Yes! No! Sorry! Archer saws his partner off by calling him through for a second and then sending him back too late. FOW 136/8

02:43 PM GMT

OVER 16: ENG 136/7 (Carse 30 Archer 0)

Carse counter-attacks and has the stones to take on Chakravarthy, swinging hard at the leg-spinner’s fuller deliveries, lamping a pair of sixes, the first stylishly over long on, the second a fairly ugly hoick over square leg, losing his bottom hand grip. Effective. A crisp square drive earns him two more and then a single flicked to midwicket.

But Overton has no answer to the googly and Chakravarthy ends with 4-0-38-2.

02:41 PM GMT

Wicket!

Overton b Chakravarthy 5  Castled by the googly through the gate.  FOW 136/7

02:38 PM GMT

OVER 15: ENG 121/6 (Carse 15 Overton 5)

Excellent from Bishnoi as Suryakumar shuffles his spinners. Only three from it. Good point from NV Knight; ‘India have not picked a side for the conditions. They have picked a side for their opponents.’

02:36 PM GMT

OVER 14: ENG 118/6 (Carse 13 Overton 3)

Carse, like Atkinson, looks like a man with a Test hundred in him and he dumps Axar over long on for six but the stroke that screams of his potential to make that leap comes a couple of balls later when he adjusts at the last moment to late cut the left-arm spinner for four down to third man.

02:33 PM GMT

OVER 13: ENG 106/6 (Carse 2 Overton 3)

Smith oozes class, swinging for the bleachers and arcing a six off Abhishek over long on. Next he uses the pace of the fuller ball to square drive it for four but then holes out, using his feet yet going aerial when he had already gleaned enough with his team in a very tight spot to go along the ground.

You have to question the makeup of England’s team. Brydon Carse is batting with Jamie Overton in the 13th over, which is being bowled by India’s fifth spinner. England have two spin options in their team. Last three wickets have all fallen caught on the fence.

02:29 PM GMT

Wicket!

Smith c Tilak b Abhishek 22 Six-four-out. The occasional left-arm spinner turns it away from the debutant and he nonchalantly slices his drive to long off. Maddening. FOW 104/6

02:29 PM GMT

OVER 12: ENG 94/5 (Smith 12 Overton 3)

In both these games England have failed to adapt, think on their feet and moderate their approach to the circumstances. They get exasperated too easily and try to biff their way out of it. Yes, I’m aware this game is too fast to waste deliveries but they have to pick their moments. Once again Overton is in 25-30 balls too early.

02:23 PM GMT

Wicket!

Livingstone c sub b Axar 13 Like Buttler done by the bounce of a seemingly short ball from the tall Axar. Again he opts to pull, the ball kumps up on to the maker’s name and he flaps it down deep backward square leg’s throat. FOW 90/5

That is really not that bright from Liam Livingstone. He had to bat until the 15th over.

02:23 PM GMT

OVER 11: ENG 90/4 (Livingstone 13 Smith 11)

Smith is no shrinking violet when it comes ti taking on India’s best spinner, Chakravarthy, carving the first ball for two off the back foot (showing he is more comfortable with his footwork than those who have been in before). Chakravarthy tosses the next ball up and he picks it as the straight leg-break and negates it anyway by getting to the pitch and smacking it over extra-cover for six!

02:20 PM GMT

OVER 10: ENG 78/4 (Livingstone 11 Smith 1)

Deja vu here. Salt, Brook and Buttler have all fallen in similar fashion to the opening game. Enter Jamie Smith who seems to have been picked up New Balance, Joe Root’s sponsor.

England are in a hole, having lost two wickets and made only 20 runs off the last four overs.

02:15 PM GMT

Wicket!

Buttler c Tilak b Axar 45 Shorter ball that wasn’t a long hop even though it appeared to be. The ball spat up and hit the splice as Buttler pirouetted to pull and pikced out the man on the prowl at cow corner. FOW 77/4

Buttler was just becoming frustrated that he had failed to find the boundary for a few overs there. England are in a real spot of bother now. Smith is in, but he and Livingstone need to take it pretty deep before allowing the likes of Overton to tee off.

02:14 PM GMT

OVER 9: ENG 74/3 (Buttler 45 Livingstone 8)

Livingstone drops very low to slog sweep and although he doesn’t collar it properly he does manage to drag it in front of a scrambling deep-backward square for four. England do not time their next three scorings hots for singles off  Chakravarthy at all sweetly but they do find gaps.

02:12 PM GMT

OVER 8: ENG 66/3 (Buttler 43 Livingstone 2)

Buttler reads Bishnoi’s googly and he steps back to slap it off the back foot for a single. Livingstone doesn’t and drags it off the toe for a single before Buttelr whisks two through midwicket and then drills a back-foot drive down to long off for one more.

02:09 PM GMT

OVER 7: ENG 61/3 (Buttler 39 Livingstone 1)

England are stuck playing Chakravarthy on the front foot which leaves them sitting ducks if they can’t pick the googly, giving them no time to adjust.

Partnerships in terms of major contributions from both are not as necessary in T20 cricket as one batsman going big. But if Buttler is to do so he still needs some help.

Big smile from Harry Brook there. No smog tonight, but he’s not picked Chakravarthy again.

02:04 PM GMT

Wicket!

Brook b Chakravarthy 13 Doesn’t pick the googly again and is gated when it it fizzes past the inside edge as he played down the wrong line. Chakravarthy appears to be asking him whether he was blinded by smog again… Brook smiles. FOW 59/3

02:02 PM GMT

India review

Buttler lbw b Chakravarthy No bat? Yes, no bat. Just kissing leg stump. Not out on umpire’s call.

02:00 PM GMT

OVER 6: ENG 58/2 (Buttler 37 Brook 13)

One-over spells are the new norm. Bishnoi replaces Sundar but England’s policy hasn’t changed. Buttler, recognising that only the googly is dangerous, picks the non-turning leg break and larrups a straight drive for six first ball. Having pushed England above fifty with the boon of an early boundary, England are happy to milk the last five balls of the powerplay for a two and three singles.

Curiously quiet here at Chepauk, where England probably take the powerplay on points. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the run rate, which is close to 10. Buttler and Brook look in good order, and each of the three spinners has been sent for a six in his first over.

01:58 PM GMT

OVER 5: ENG 47/2 (Buttler 27 Brook 12)

Arshdeep is replaced after two overs and Axar Patel brought on to have a go at Harry Brook. After sizing him up for a couple of singles, Brook climbs into a slog sweep that sails for sic and then harpoons a cover drive with murderous power for four.

01:54 PM GMT

OVER 4: ENG 35/2 (Buttler 26 Brook 1)

Brook, like Buttler, is in again early and off the mark using more edge in his diversion down to third man than wrist and middle. Buttler dabs the next non-turning off-break for two and then mows the following one for six over cow corner. We have yet to see positive evidence of McCullum’s influence on the whole team, but Jos looks like a man re-born.

01:50 PM GMT

Wicket!

Duckett c Jurel b Sundar 3 A wicket with his first ball for the home town hero Washington Sundar. Duckett went to reverse sweeps, one of the 10 varieties in his broom cupboard, and tope-edged it into the bed whence it ballooned to backward point. FOW 26/2

01:48 PM GMT

OVER 3: ENG 26/1 (Duckett 3 Buttler 18)

The speed with which Buttler can change tack in a pre-planned assault remains remarkable. He uses his feet to Arshdeep but when the ball is shorter than he anticipated he makes room to leg to cart it brutally if not elegantly over midwicket for four. He almost chips straight to mid-on from the next ball but it drops short and carroms away from Hardik and they run two.

After trying and failing to reverse scoop, he opens his stance by clearing his front leg and launches a full ball over wide long on for six, then steps away to leg again to hammer a square cut in front of point for four.

Jos Buttler looks in terrific touch as he takes down Arshdeep there. I like him at No 3, where he can play any role the situation requires given his experience opening and in the lower middle order.

01:44 PM GMT

OVER 2: ENG 10/1 (Duckett 3 Buttler 2)

Hardik clonks Duckett on the helmet with his slower-ball bouncer, right above the left ear as he was too early on the shot. Duckett requires a concussion test, which he passes quickly, and a drink, which takes some time.

When he resumes he skelps a single fine off his hip. This is the centre pitch of the square and hence black soil not red so should be true and, as Kolkata, has good bounce at the start. Buttler defends two firmly to cover and then runs down and drags a drive wide of mid-on for a single. Just two off a fine over full of variations of pace and length.

01:36 PM GMT

OVER 1: ENG 8/1 (Duckett 2 Buttler 1)

Arshdeep Singh opens the bowling, starts with a big hooping inswinger, too full, and Salt lifts it over midwicket with a strong bottom wrist for four. The next ball is shorter, arrows into the pads and Salt tries to glance it, misses but jogs a leg-bye nonetheless.

The inswinger becomes an outswinger to the left-handed Duckett and he doesn’t pick it, closing the face to target midwicket and the ball spoons off a leading edge through point for a single.

Salt falls, hooking when he should have uppercut, diddle by the line. Both Buttler, in early again, and Duckett, pick off singles into the legside ring.

Phil Salt lasted two balls the other night, and three tonight. Buttler is effectively opening at the moment, and questions remain about Salt’s record against the very best opposition.

01:33 PM GMT

Wicket!

Salt c Sundar b Arshdeep 4 Bouncer angled across the right-hander that climbs more than he anticipated. So he had to fetch it at shoulder height and lost control, top-edging it straight to deep backward square. Had he middled it the ball would have gone 20m further and into the crowd for six. FOW 6/1

01:27 PM GMT

Taking their time

Chepauk still filling up as the start of this game approaches. There were definitely more people in at Eden Gardens at this stage three days ago but should be a lively atmosphere nonetheless.

01:18 PM GMT

The two XIs

India Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel  Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar,  Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.

England  Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

01:18 PM GMT

The two XIs

India Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel  Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar,  Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.

England  Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

01:08 PM GMT

Early set-back

That is a big blow for England, losing the toss again. They will have their work cut out setting a defendable target.

01:06 PM GMT

Buttler speaks to Ravi Shastri

I would have done the same. Same game plan we juts have to do it better. The guys are relaxed and looking forward to today. We want to be more aggressive. We’ll assess conditions quickly and communicate that. Two changes - Jacob Bethell unwell, so a debut for Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse in for Gus Atkinson.

01:05 PM GMT

Suryakumar’s thoughts

It’s a good track and when we practised here last night there was a little dew. It looks a good pitch, looks hard. We want to do as well in all departments as we did in the last match. We have two changes, Washington Sundar, a local boy, and Dhruv Jurel come in.

01:02 PM GMT

India have won the toss

And for the second match in succession have out England in to bat. Bah!

12:57 PM GMT

Jamie Smith replaces Bethell on debut

Jamie Smith is being presented his England T20 cap – completing the set – by his softly-spoken Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson. We’ll find out at the toss, but not expecting Smith to keep tonight.

India fans
It’s been a seven-year wait for India fans to watch their national T20 side in Chennai - Michael Steele/Getty Images

12:50 PM GMT

A long way from Canterbury

Arshdeep Singh is warming up, having been named the ICC’s men’s T20i cricketer of 2024 for his part in India’s World Cup win. He’s now their leading wicket-taker in the format, and looked utterly unplayable with the new ball on the other night. Funny old game, though, because when he played for Kent a couple of years ago, he was inert on the flat Canterbury pitch.

Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh has become India’s most successful T20i bowler if rather less effective at St Lawrence - R.SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

12:37 PM GMT

Pre-toss team news after a rough night

Greetings from Chennai, where it’s steamier but clearer than Kolkata – good news for Harry Brook’s aim of picking googlies – at the magnificent Chepauk Stadium. My colleague Dave Charlesworth and I wondered along the beach to get here, and there’s a lovely vibe in the city.

England need to turn things around, stat. They were poor in Kolkata, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer excepted. SOunds like there will be two changes, with debutant Jamie Smith coming in for the sickly Jacob Bethell and Brydon Carse replacing Gus Atkinson, who endured an especially tough night.

There will be changes for India, at least two of them, with Rinku Singh (back spasm) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (side strain) ruled out for two and four games respectively.

Due should not be quite such a factor here – it had settled before the game began at Eden Gardens – but the toss will still be massive. Thirty-five minutes before the toss, India are warming up, but England are nowhere to be seen.

12:31 PM GMT

Preview: Smoke gets in your eyes

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the second T20 of England’s five-match series with India, coming from wonderful Chennai which, for various and mainly unfortunate reasons, has not held an international 20-over game for seven years. England are 1-0 down having been, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer apart, terrible in Kolkata. Hammered by seven wickets with 43 balls to spare, Harry Brook, the team’s new vice-captain, blamed the smog for their inability to pick, score or even survive against India’s three spinners Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy, the last of whom, for reasons of pedantry beyond our control, will be given that name on the scorecard but rendered as Vinod, his third name, in the bowling figures.

England struggled on a good, true pitch at Eden Gardens but Chennai has the red soil that is famous for taking spin and it is the home ground of the leg-spinner Chakravarthy, the stadium where he won the IPL last year, taking one for nine in his two overs. If England can stay in long enough, they have the firepower to make big runs but the cheap loss of both openers, Brook, Jacob Bethell and Liam Livingstone looking at sea and a lower order packed with batsmen who are at their best in cameos, put the initiative and responsibility solely on their captain’s shoulders. As well as he played, with no one else contributing he had to keep chancing his arm and ultimately, as is the Bazball way, ‘died by the sword’.

Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton play football
When in doubt… get the ball out - R.SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

Air Quality Index values below 100 are deemed ‘satisfactory’ and those above 100 ‘unhealthy for certain conditions’, above 200 ‘poor and very unhealthy’. Today’s current reading for Chennai is 117 but that is 70 points below where it was for Kolkata on Wednesday so England should not find it as oppressive or, indeed, as murky as the first match, although at 25C it is a couple of degrees warmer than it was in West Bengal.

England have concerns over Bethell, who was sick last night. If he is not fit enough to play, Jamie Smith would come in but not necessarily take the gloves. Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahmood and Brydon Carse are their other bowling options but rather than doubling up on leg-spin, they signalled yesterday that Carse for Gus Atkinson, who was whacked for 38 off his two overs, would be their only preferred change.

India’s Mohammed Shami should finally make his return after nine months out… yet we also thought that would happen on Wednesday but they held him back again.