BENGALURU: The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is used to run fests. Last year, the IPL saw the best of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers as they made mockery of many a bowling attack. It was the same story in the World T20 before that.
There was a change on Wednesday in the decider of the T20I series between India and England. It was not just the Indian batting that gave India the series. Bowlers Yuzvendra Chahal (6/25) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) applied the finishing touches, after batsmen went for the kill earlier.
The collapse was triggered after Eoin Morgan (40) and Joe Root (42) were out off successive balls in the 14th over from Man of the Series Chahal. England’s last eight wickets fell for just eight runs, with Chahal and Bumrah doing the damage. Famed for their batting, India indicated they are capable with their bowling too. Virat Kohli said: “In Bangalore, any total is chaseable. When the ball starts to go around, no total is too much. The key was the wickets in middle overs.”
India, put in to bat, stormed to 202 for six from 20 overs, while the visitors were sent packing for 127 off 16.3. India won by 75 runs.
In the two previous T20 matches, India hadn’t crossed 150 after batting first. But the Bengaluru wicket is for batsmen and the crowd swears by it. It may have helped that the boundaries here are smaller than in Nagpur.
When India skipper Kohli was run out for two runs, with the team total at four, it looked like disaster because we are so used to seeing the man at his best here. But then, the Indian batting clicked once again.
Suresh Raina (63, 45 balls) was the first to have a go at the English bowlers. While a couple of hits may have seemed to have the assistance of Lady Luck, the others did not by any means. It did not help that Raina was dropped by Adil Rashid off his own bowling while on 47. KL Rahul (22) hoisted one from Moeen Ali over the roof but did not last long. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (56, 36 balls) did his bit, and in the usual style too. Yuvraj Singh (27, 10 balls) departed soon but his contribution was useful no doubt.
Unlike previous games, there were partnerships. It was 61 for the second wicket between Rahul and Raina, 55 for the third (Raina -Dhoni) and 57 for the fourth between Yuvraj and Dhoni.
vivekphadnis@newindianexpress.com