No. 17 came after us: Shreyas Iyer smokes as Ravi Bishnoi gives England victory on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debut

Shreyas Iyer (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: India captain Shreyas Iyer refused to blame Ravi Bishnoi even as his costly 17th over proved crucial to England’s four-wicket win in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday.Chasing 191, England rode on an unbeaten 76 from Jacob Bethell to reach the target with an over to spare. The turning point came in the 17th over when Bishnoi conceded 29 runs, allowing England to take complete control of the chase.

That changed the game

India looked firmly in command after reducing England to 142/5 in 16 overs. But the match turned dramatically in the 17th over.Bishnoi started with a no ball which Bethell dispatched for a free-hitting six. Spinning then bowled another no-ball and Bethell continued the onslaught with another six, four, another six, along with singles and fours, taking 29 runs from the over.Although it 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 pinpoint a particular player. I thought, well, he will come back strong after that (first no-ball). But the 17th over haunted us. But he will learn,” Iyer said.

‘It was a phenomenal score’

The Indian skipper believed his team had achieved a winning total on a challenging surface that offered uneven bounce.“I think it was a phenomenal score on this pitch with a variable bounce. We were on top for the first 15 overs but suddenly – credit to the way Jacob played,” he added.Iyer credited Jacob Bethell for changing the course of the chase with his aggressive batting. He also felt that England assessed the conditions well before launching their attack.“They were soon analyzing the dimensions of the ground and the wicket,” he said.The India captain particularly appreciated the fearless mindset of the young England batsman.“He has that no-nonsense attitude where he’s fearless. The way he shoots in the nets … something to learn from him. I didn’t expect him to be nervous.”Despite the disappointing defeat, Iyer said the team will move on quickly and focus on the third T20I.“Of course, I’m always in a good mood and I know this is the lowest you can go,” he concluded.The third T20I of the five-match series will be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on July 7.

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