3 players who flopped in the 2nd T20I between India and England
Half-centuries from debutant Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli condemned England to a 7-wicket defeat in the 2nd T20I against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
A number of players starred in the encounter. Jason Roy continued from where he left off in the 1st T20I to score 46, while Sam Curran returned figures of 1/22 in his 4 overs. For the hosts, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur scalped two wickets each and kept a tight leash on the England batsmen.
However, a few didn't have memorable outings. Here are 3 players who flopped in the 2nd T20I between India and England.
#3 Jos Buttler (England)
Jos Buttler opens the batting for England ahead of Jonny Bairstow in the T20I format, and overall, he has done justice to the position. One of the most dangerous shortest-format openers in the international circuit and the Indian Premier League, he was primed for great things in this series.
However, despite a sedate cameo in the 1st T20I, Buttler hasn't been the player we know him to be. In the 2nd T20I, he missed a flick against Bhuvneshwar Kumar after shuffling across and walked back for a golden duck.
The opening slot is not the only aspect for which he has competition from Bairstow. Buttler is also the first-choice gloveman in this England T20I XI, but he shelled Virat Kohli down the leg-side in the powerplay off Chris Jordan. The Indian skipper went on to capitalise on the lapse, and hit the winning runs to rub salt into Buttler's wounds.
#2 KL Rahul (India)
The opening combination India fielded in the 2nd T20I was certainly a surprise. Many expected Shikhar Dhawan to be given one last go at the top of the order, but Kohli and the team management opted to give young Ishan Kishan a chance to express himself on debut.
Although Kishan grabbed the opportunity with both hands, his partner KL Rahul registered his second successive failure. The 28-year-old was in all sorts of trouble against Sam Curran in the opening over, and nicked off on the final ball to walk back for a disappointing 6-ball duck.
With Rohit Sharma set to return for the 3rd T20I and Kishan impressing as an opener, Rahul's place at the top of the order is under serious doubt. He is the highest-ranked T20I batsman in the Indian team so he is unlikely to be dropped, but he won't look forward to a move down the order.
#1 Ben Stokes (England)
Ben Stokes hasn't been rested as frequently as his England teammates, and fatigue might be starting to show for the all-rounder. He played all 4 Tests against India as well as the 1st T20I, and he suffered a number of lapses in this game.
Stokes' scratchy innings of 24 off 21 balls featured only one four, and he couldn't give the England innings the impetus it needed at the death. The 29-year-old had the chance to make up for the same in the second innings, but he only worsened matters.
Stokes' only over went for 17 runs as Kohli and Kishan hit him for a six each, with one of them coming off a free-hit. He also shelled a straightforward catch in the deep that would've sent Kishan back in the 8th over, leaving the unhappy bowler - Adil Rashid - to concede two sixes in the following over.
We might see Stokes being given a breather in the 3rd T20I. England can afford to do so, since Sam Curran is in good form and Moeen Ali is waiting on the bench.