Bethell’s unbeaten 76 gives England a 1-0 lead over India at Old Trafford
England chased down 191 with an over to spare at Old Trafford, Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 76 seeing them home against India to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Jul 5, 2026
India piled up 190 and still could not defend it. Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 76 dragged England home with an over to spare at Old Trafford on Saturday, handing the hosts a four-wicket win in the second T20I and a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after the rain-ruined opener at Chester-le-Street produced no result.
Shreyas Iyer’s side had done almost everything right with the bat. Batting first after winning the toss, India were taken past 190 by a top order that kept finding boundaries, only to watch a young left-hander in full flow take the game away in a hurry.
India’s top order sets a big total
Abhishek Sharma set the tone at the top, cracking 43 off 24 balls with eight fours before he fell. Ishan Kishan gave the innings its spine with 49 from 40, and Iyer kept the rate up with a busy 37 off 22. The captain fell in the 13th over trying to push through the gears, and India briefly lost their way in the middle before Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 24 from 11.
The most anticipated moment came when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked out for his international debut. The 15-year-old did not look overawed, clubbing two sixes in a 10-ball stay before he was dismissed for 14. It was a small cameo, but enough to show why India have fast-tracked him. Sam Curran was the pick of the England attack, taking 3 for 33 to keep the total within reach.
Bethell and Brook flip the chase
Chasing 191, England needed someone to bat through, and Bethell did exactly that. The 22-year-old struck five fours and five sixes in his 46-ball innings, using the pace of the quicks and finding the boundary at both ends of the ground. He had plenty of help from Harry Brook, whose 39 came off just 15 deliveries and swung the momentum in the space of two overs. The game turned on a single Ravi Bishnoi over that leaked 29 runs, two of them from no-balls, as Bethell took the leg-spinner for three sixes and put the chase within touching distance.
India were not without their moments. Arshdeep Singh removed three England batters to finish with 3 for 40, and Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket, but the required rate never climbed high enough to force the errors India needed. England reached 191 for 6, with Bethell there at the end to collect the player-of-the-match award.
Series still wide open
One loss in a five-match series is hardly a crisis, especially when the batting looks in good order, but India will be frustrated at losing a game they controlled for large stretches. The bowling could not squeeze the middle overs, and Bethell was allowed to settle when a wicket would have opened the game up. With the washed-out first match offering nothing, England now hold the only points on the board.
The teams move on with three games left to sort out the series. India have the batting to level it quickly, but they will want a sharper effort with the ball, and an answer to Bethell, who did the damage in Manchester.