IND vs ENG: Top 5 key player battles to watch out for in 2nd T20I, Chennai

India won the 1st IND vs ENG T20I in Kolkata by seven wickets.

India thrashed England in the first T20I in Kolkata. It was a great effort from the Indian bowlers to restrict England to 132. Then, it was the carnage from Abhishek Sharma, who slammed a 20-ball fifty. that took India over the line with utter ease.

India registered their biggest win against England in T20Is, in terms of balls remaining. India and England will now lock horns in the 2nd IND vs ENG T20I.

That game is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 7 PM IST at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Team India will try to replicate what they did in Kolkata. But England can bounce back.

Both sides have some amazing T20 players, and we look at the five key player battles in the second T20I to keep an eye on.

IND vs ENG: Top 5 key player battles to watch out for in 1st T20I, Kolkata

1. Abhishek Sharma vs Jofra Archer

Abhishek Sharma has continued his ultra-aggressive approach, and it paid off in the first game. He slammed a fifty off just 20 balls and scored 79 off 34 balls, with five fours and eight sixes. One thing is sure: he will continue his approach in the second game as well.

However, Jofra Archer also looked in great touch with 2/21 and troubled the batters with his pace. Archer and Sharma’s battle in the powerplay would be fun to watch.

2. Sanju Samson vs Mark Wood

Sanju Samson had a brief stay in the first T20I. He made 26 off 20 balls. He got out while trying to take on Archer on the short ball. Samson is in great form and has slammed three centuries in the last six innings.

But he has some problems with the short ball. That is why Mark Wood can be a dangerous customer to handle. Wood loves to bounce out the batters with pace, and Samson, with his form, will look to take him on.

3. Jos Buttler vs Varun Chakravarthy

The English captain was the lone warrior for his team in Kolkata, standing tall and targeting the Indian bowlers smartly. He was in great control against the spinners and cashed in on the loose balls. He scored a 44-ball 68. Buttler is the backbone of the English team, and if he gets out early, the visitors will be under pressure.

India have their trump card in the middle overs in Varun Chakravarthy. The mystery spinner has been in tremendous form and has added side spin to his armoury. The battle between Buttler and Varun can be the game-changer in the middle overs.

4. Liam Livingstone vs Axar Patel

We all know what Liam Livingstone can do on his day. He is one of the hardest hitters of the ball in modern-day cricket. He was unlucky to get out for a duck in Kolkata. But we can expect him to bounce back. However, he is slightly vulnerable against spin.

Indian spinners will be hard to get away for Livingstone. Especially Axar Patel, who bowls wicket-to-wicket, and Chennai has a helpful pitch for the spinners. That is why Livingstone against Axar will be an interesting battle.

5. Phil Salt vs Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh set the tone for India in the first game by dismissing the openers cheaply, and England were on the back foot early on. The left-arm pacer has been at his best since last year in T20s. As he can swing the new ball both ways, he’s really tough to hit against.

England’s Phil Salt, too, has been in superb nick in T20 cricket in the last couple of years. He is someone who can take the game away from the opposition in the powerplay. Although he got out to Arshdeep in the first over in Kolkata, Salt would back himself to hammer the Indian left-arm seamer in Chennai. This battle will be important for the powerplay momentum for both teams.

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