ENG vs IND 2nd T20I Live Commentary - Manchester (04 July 2026)

SIX! Right out of the screws! A juicy half-volley on off. Tilak Varma clears the front leg away, gets nicely under the ball and clobbers it into the stands behind long on.

 SIX! WOWZA!

Tongue follows Varma, who dances down the track and bashes it on a length, angling into the batter. Tilak is cramped for room and steers it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Hard length, on off, Tilak Varma backs away and carves it behind to short third and they get a quick single.

OUT! AXAR PATEL IS RUN OUT! Tongue shortens the length and slants it on the leg stump after spotting Patel charge down the ground. The ball bounces off the track and beats Axar's attempted pull shot and dribbles back to the keeper. Tilak has already charged for a bye, and Axar is a bit late to respond to that call. Jos Buttler gathers the ball and releases a quick throw but misses his shy at the batting end, but the ball rolls straight onto the stumps at the non-striker's end with Axar short of his ground.

Back of a length, at the body, this is helped away towards long leg for a single.

WIDE! Tight call. Brook is not happy, so is Buttler as they think Harshit moved a bit, which, he did. Bowls it wide outside off, on a very full length. Rana moves a bit to hit it away, but misses to lay his bat on the ball. It flirts past the tramline and it is called a wide.

Nails the wide yorker, Harshit cannot get the bat down in time and fails to squeeze it out. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

 SIX! SMOKED! That extra delivery costs Tongue a lot. Josh goes searching for a yorker, but slips in a full toss instead. Harshit goes back in the crease and pummels it over long on for half a dozen runs.

 FOUR! Absolutely belted away! Full and outside off. Kishan moves towards the off side, sits on his back knee and smacks it over extra cover, finding the gap for a boundary.

OUT! TAKEN! Curran picks up his third wicket and England are really turning on the screws on India now. Fuller side of a length, around off, at pace. Ishan Kishan goes deep in the crease and tries to launch it over long off but the bat twists at the point of contact and the ball is sliced toward extra cover. A simple catching practice for Liam Dawson there. Kishan falls one short of his half century. India are 157/5, 16 balls left.

WIDE! Short and over the batter's head. Axar ducks. Wide given for height.

At 128 kph, full and outside off. Axar lofts it inside out over cover-point for only a single.

Nearly the fourth wicket for Curran! He bowls the slower one at 109 kph. The length is full and it is aimed at the stumps, angling into the batter. Tilak gets a bit across and tries to pick it up and over deep square leg, but plays off the inner half of the bat. The shot has no power, and it sails towards deep square leg, where Jofra comes a bit forward and has to really stretch his hands forward to scoop the dipping ball. He is not sure whether he completed the catch, and he himself requests to get it checked. The decision is sent upstairs to check the legality of the catch while Archer gets his fingers taped up after grazing them on the ground. After checking several replays, it is deemed that the ball burst through his hands and bounced on the ground. Now, there is another delay to check whether the batters completed the run or not. Since the batters had crossed, it will be a single with Axar Patel on strike for the next ball.

Skids through on off, on a length. Axar stabs it through backward point for a single.

On a length, around off, this is jabbed away to deep point for a single. Excellent spell from Curran. He finishes with figures reading 3/32 in 4 overs.

Touch full, spinning in from off. Ishan Kishan sits down to sweep, but gets an inside edge on the pads. There was an appeal for LBW, but nothing doing.

 FOUR! Nicely done! Flat, quick, full, on middle, angling in. Ishan picks the length early and nails the reverse sweep to deep backward point for a boundary. The 150 is up for India.

A stifled appeal for LBW, but not given. Going over the stumps? Brook suggests so. Fuller in front of the middle and leg stumps. Ishan looks to sweep, but the ball bounces over his bat and hits his body. Ball Tracking later shows that the ball is pitching outside the leg stump as well.

Short and drifting in. Ishan Kishan rocks back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

On a length, sliding in towards the leg stump. Tilak backs away and dabs it towards deep point for one.

Shortish ball at 93 kph, Ishan comes forward and drags it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Huge swing and a miss! Length delivery at 129 kph, outside off. Ishan looks to smoke it downtown, but misses as the ball keeps leaving him.

WIDE! Dishes out the slower one at 116 kph, on a length, but this is pushed beyond the tramline. Ishan stays where he is and leaves. Wide called.

He was trying to dump that in the Theatre of Dreams which is under construction. Short of a length, outside off, Ishan Kishan swings hard to smash it down the ground, but the ball bounces and nips away to zip past the bat.

This is really good bowling by Curran! The back-of-the-hand slower one, on a length, into the body. Ishan Kishan swivels to pull but the ball pops behind off the thigh pad and rolls back to the keeper.

At 130 kph, short and outside off. Ishan stands tall to pull it across to the leg side, but ends up getting an inside edge, and the ball dribbles back to Buttler.

And again! No timing at all. Kishan is itching to get going. Back of a length, around off. Ishan hangs back and looks to pull, but gets an inside edge past the stumps to the right of the keeper for a single. So far, so good from Curran. 11 balls since the last boundary for India. 

OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND TAKEN! Curran caps off a brilliant over with a well-deserved wicket. This is fuller and outside the off stump. Dube gets on the front foot and tries to smack it down the ground, but ends up slicing it off the toe end. The ball spoons up over and between cover and mid off. Tom Banton moves a bit to his left, sees the ball like a hawk and takes a fine catch. Dube never really got going in his painfully short stay. India are 146/4, four overs left.

Flighted delivery, drifting in at the leg stump. Dube wrists it behind square leg and picks up a single.

Shorter and this spins away a fair bit, on off. Kishan smears it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for one.

Slower but the length stays short, on middle. Dube stays deep in the crease and ends up swinging a bit too hard for the pull. Mistimes it down to long on for a run.

At 94 kph, speared in shorter and tucking the batter up for room. One hand comes off the bat handle and Ishan does not get the timing right on the pull. It goes through mid-wicket for only a single.

And again. Jacks keeps it flat and short, on middle. Shivam goes hard on the pull but loses his shape. It dribbles to long on for the fifth single of the over.

Six singles off the over. Tidy stuff by Jacks. Fractionally short, on middle. Kishan hammers the pull straight to deep mid-wicket.

At 140 kph, on a good length, targeting the off pole. Kishan chops it down to deep third for a single.

Not in control but Dube gets away with it. A well-directed short ball at 142 kph, over the left shoulder. Dube is late in deciding whether to duck or take the short ball on. He ends up taking his eyes off the ball and swings away. It lands safely in the vacant mid-wicket region for a single.

On a back of a length, wide on off, thumped to deep cover for a single by Ishan.

How did that miss the stumps? Cross-seam ball at 140 kph, on a good length, on middle and leg. Dube leaves nothing in the tank and swings for the hills but misses. The bounce takes it over the leg stump.

Hard-length ball, on off, cranks it up at 145 kph. Dube swats it back past the bowler to his right and takes a single.

FOUR! A boundary off the final ball spoils what was turning out to be a quiet over from Archer. Jofra goes searching for the yorker but ends up serving a low full toss, around off. Kishan makes room to force it through the off side. Gets an outside edge and it races past short third in a flash.

Dawson spots Iyer stepping out and he bowls it full and wide on off, Shreyas reaches out and hits it to the right of deep cover for a couple of runs.

Drags the length back now, on off. Iyer hangs back and slaps it to the left of Phil Salt this time at sweeper cover for another brace.

SIX! All the way. Darted in by Dawson from around the wicket, not all that short, on middle. Iyer makes use of the depth of the crease and pulls it over the deep mid-wicket fence.

A bit fuller but this is pushed through, on middle. Shreyas knocks it past the diving bowler to his left and gets to the other end.

Flat and full, outside off. Kishan advances and shanks it off the inner half to long on. Single taken.

OUT! CAUGHT! Liam Dawson breaks through for England. This is slower and wider on off, on a good length. Iyer shimmies down the track to go inside out. There is a bit of turn, and Shreyas ends up slicing it off the outer half. Tom Banton charges across to his left at long off. Keeps his eyes on the ball all the way through and slides to take a fine catch.

Good running. Tongue nails the yorker, on middle from around the wicket. Ishan digs it out in the vacant mid-wicket region and comes charging back for the second run.

Hit too straight. Pace off now, full and at the sticks. Kishan cracks the drive down the strip. It hits the stumps at the bowling end before dribbling behind. They cross.

FOUR! Cleverly done. Another slower ball but this is bowled into the surface, on off. Iyer gets on his toes and arches back slightly to steer it with an open bat face. Plays it fine of the short third fielder and picks up a boundary. This brings up the 50-run partnership between Shreyas and Ishan.

Nasty blow. An effort ball by Tongue, on a hard length, over off. Iyer rises with the bounce to deal with it but the ball climbs onto him and catches him on the bottom hand. His fingers get trapped against the bat handle and he cops a painful blow. The ball drops beside the strip on the off side and he takes a quick single.

Very full, drifting in at the toes. Kishan flicks it in front of square on the leg side and crosses over.

Bowled on a back of a length, outside off at 141 kph. Iyer plays the late dab down to deep third and retains the strike with a single.

Pushed through, on a good length, on middle. Iyer steps out and pushes it to long off for a single.

Dishes out the googly, on a length, on off. Kishan punches it through point and turns the strike over.

No air given, flatter and angled in at the pads. Iyer whips it to wide long on for just a single.

FOUR! Oh, Phil Salt nearly pulled off a blinder. Loopy ball, on middle. Ishan's eyes light up as he spots the ball above his eyeline. He gets down on a knee and plays the slog sweep towards the longer of the two square boundaries on the leg side. Phil Salt is in off the ropes and cannot back track quickly enough. He leaps and sticks out his hand, but can't cling on. The 100 is up for India with this boundary.

FOUR! Hammered away. Drops it short, does Rashid, on off. Kishan waits for the ball to arrive and gets on top of the bounce before slapping it to the left of the cover fielder, beating long off to his right.

Flighted delivery, on middle, Ishan chips it down to long on for a single. 12 runs off the over.

Short at 131 kph, on middle and leg. Iyer gets a bit across and mistimes the pull shot. The ball comes higher on the bat due to the bounce, and he works it along the ground to the square leg region for a single.

 FOUR! Nails it into the gap! Back of a length, outside off. Ishan Kishan swings hard at it, loses the grip of the bottom hand, but manages to crunch it to deep backward point. The fielder there, Dawson, has it within his reach to cut it off, but the ball blazes through the fence in the blink of an eye, even before he could take a step to his right.

Back of a length. Kishan rides the bounce and opens the bat face to steer it to backward point for a single.

Bowls it short on the stumps, angling in. Iyer pulls it behind square on the leg side for a single.

Good deception from Curran! The slower one at 116 kph, on a good length, just outside off. Ishan Kishan tentatively dangles the bat away from his body, trying to punch it away to the off side, only to get beaten on the outside edge. He didn't pick the change of pace at all.

At pace now, short of a length, around off. Ishan stands up on his toes and shanks it to cover. Good little comeback by England. Just 13 runs off the last 2 overs. At halfway, India are 96/2.

Darted on a length, around off. Ishan nudges it to deep mid-wicket and gets a single.

Full from around the stumps, angling in. Iyer clips it off the pads to deep mid-wicket for one more.

Two is the call, but Salt prevents it. Spins in from off, full in length. Ishan flicks it through mid-wicket. They run the first run hard, but decide not to challenge Salt's arm, who tears forward from the outfield.

Length ball on the off stump. 93 kph. Iyer works it to deep square leg for a run.

Flat and full, in the line of the stumps. Ishan swats it off the inner half to widish long on for a single.

Beautifully bowled! A fuller-length ball with a hint of turn, Shreyas Iyer waits on it and dabs it between cover and point for a run. Just 6 singles off the over.

A short leg break on the stumps. Kishan rocks back and steers it through mid-wicket for a run.

 FOUR! Timed and placed exceptionally well! Short again, flighted on the middle stump. Shreyas Iyer uses the depth of the crease and pulls it to the leg side, and manages to bisect the deep mid-wicket and long on fielders for a boundary.

Good length on the pads, Iyer clips it to square leg for a single.

A touch fuller, outside off, Ishan cuts it through point for a single.

Fractionally full on the stumps, Iyer uses the crease and works it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Short and outside off. Ishan Kishan ferociously swats it to the left of the bowler for a single, to the right of long on.

Drops it short, on off and middle. Ishan presses back and whips it to long on for a single.

FOUR! Gets it through! Fractionally short and equally wide on off. Iyer lets the ball come to him and cuts it late to thread the gap between short third and backward point. The Indian skipper picks up a boundary to get going.

In-drifter on a length, on off. Iyer hangs back and punches it to extra cover.

Two is the call and they will get it! Angles in from off, on a good length. Iyer hangs deep in the crease and whips it between square leg and mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Pitched fuller, on off, Iyer leans on and laces it away to long off for an easy single.

A touch short on the leg stump. Ishan heaves it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

 FOUR! Carted down the ground! Back of a length, on top of off. Abhishek Sharma stands tall and swats it over the fielder at mid on for a cracking boundary.

WIDE! Curran goes short and wide outside off, Abhishek Sharma dangles his bat away from his body half-heartedly and misses to connect. The ball breaches the tramline. Wide called.

 In the air... but drops safely! Fuller in length, around off, nipping away. Abhishek Sharma swings his bat hard to smoke it over the leg side, but gets a thick top edge and he manages to clear the in-field. The ball drops safely in the deep third region and Josh Tongue tidies up. Single.

Nips in from a length, on off with bounce. Ishan Kishan hops on the toes and cuts it through point for an easy single to open his account.

 FOUR! PUT AWAY! Short of a good length, on middle. Abhishek Sharma walks inside the line and pulls it over mid-wicket. Beats Jofra Archer's long chase to his left from long on. Abhishek is on the move.

 FOUR! Beats Archer to his right now! A long half-volley on middle and leg. Abhishek Sharma check-drives and holds the front elbow. Cracks the drive down the ground, and beats Archer at long on, this time to his right. Sharma moves to 43 (23).

OUT! CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! Curran has the last laugh and ends Abhishek's fun. A low full toss that tails into the pads. Abhishek Sharma stays put and tries to whip it over deep mid-wicket, but hits it off the inner half of the bat and sails only as far as the fielder stationed in the deep. Tom Banton doesn't have to move an inch and takes a simple catch. India are 65/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

FOUR! Welcomed with a boundary. Starts with an off-break, full and on off, not much turn. Abhishek backs away, exposes all three stumps and goes inside out over extra cover.

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries. Jacks switches to over the wicket and tosses it up now, on middle and leg. Sharma shimmies down the track to get to the pitch of the ball and slams it over cover for four more.

Back to around the wicket, this is flatter and shorter, on middle. Abhishek swings at it but mistimes the lofted hit, but manages to clear the leaping bowler and pick up a single. The 50 is up for India.

Drifting in, on middle and leg, Sooryavanshi eases it to mid on.

OUT! STUMPED! The debutant's party is over. Will Jacks outfoxes the wonderkid. Perhaps Jacks anticipated Sooryavanshi giving him the charge, and hence, he pushes it through, flatter and shorter, outside off. Vaibhav advances and tries to force it through the off side, but fails to connect. Jos Buttler gathers the ball and whips the bails off in a flash. Sooryavanshi starts walking, but the umpires want to be sure. The third umpire is called into action, and the replays confirm that Vaibhav is short by a fair bit. End of a 50-run opening stand.

Floated up, on the off stump. Ishan taps it to cover.

SIX! Clean as a whistle. Tongue dishes out the slower one at 117 kph, on a length, angled in, on middle. Sooryavanshi needs no second invitation as he puts his head down and clobbers it over mid-wicket for half a dozen.

Leg bye! Switches to over the wicket and this is on a good length, on middle. Sooryavanshi clears the front leg and has a swipe across the line. Gets hit high on the back thigh and a leg bye is taken as the ball goes wide of cover.

FOUR! That nearly went the distance. Angling away, on a length. Abhishek stays deep in the crease and makes use of the angle to carve it over point. One bounce and over the ropes.

Does not connect this time. The length is pulled back a bit by Tongue, near the tramline, on off. Abhishek throws his hands at the ball but the ball is not short enough for the shot and it goes under the blade.

SIX! Launched down the ground. Tongue changes his angle of attack as he comes from around the wicket now. Goes searching for the yorker but ends up serving it right in the slot in line with the off stump. Abhishek clears his front leg, gets under the ball and pumps it over mid off for a biggie.

A run saved. Stays on the fuller side, on off. Abhishek gives himself a bit of room and forces the drive through covers. The ball slows down in the outfield. Will Jacks gives chase and slides to flick the ball behind towards his teammate, who mops it up. Three runs taken.

SIX! Dumped into the stands. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi greets his IPL teammate with a six. Archer spots Sooryavanshi backing away, and he follows him with a length ball. Vaibhav crouches and helps it over long leg by using the pace.

A proper fast bowler's response. Archer dishes out the short ball, over middle and leg. Sooryavanshi swings across for the pull but is beaten for pace and the ball also gets big on him to go over the blade.

Jofra nails the yorker, on middle. Sooryavanshi jams it out to the left of mid off and hurries to the other end.

Not allowing the batter to free his arms. On a good length, landing outside the line of the leg stump. Abhishek makes room to go over the off side but cannot connect.

At 148 kph, on a hard length, on off. Abhishek flays at it to go up and over cover but is beaten for pace.

FOUR! Nearly sneaked through. A puzzled look on the face of Archer. He was the only one to go up in an appeal as he thought that it went off the pad. Spears in a pinpoint yorker, on middle. Abhishek gets his bat down to keep it out. Gets an inside edge and it races past short fine leg for a four.

Tongue starts with a hard-length delivery at 140 kph, around off. Not that wide for the cut but Sooryavanshi arches back and throws his hands at the ball but fails to lay any bat on it.

Beaten for pace and bounce again. Dug in short, over the left shoulder. Sooryavanshi has a swing across the line as he tries to take the short ball on but it sails over his willow.

FIVE WIDES! That should have been stopped. Tongue pushes the length up but gets the line wrong. This is too straight, around leg. Sooryavanshi crouches and gets inside the line to shovel it away but misses. Jos Buttler moves to his right but can't get his body behind the ball. It clips his gloves and goes down to the deep fine leg fence.

Oh, that could have gone back onto the stumps. Nails the yorker, does Tongue, on off. Vaibhav hurriedly drops his bat down on the ball. Squeezes out an inside edge and it goes behind on the leg side for a single. First run in international cricket for Sooryavanshi.

Hits the back of a length, going away. Abhishek has a heave across the line but is beaten as the ball goes under the blade.

From around the wicket, out comes the slower one at 121 kph, tucking the batter up for room. Abhishek can only pat it down the strip.

Another swing and a miss. We have had quite a few of these already in the first couple of overs. Tongue keeps it away from the batter's arc, near the tramline on off, on a good length. Abhishek flashes but can only connect with thin air.

A swing and a miss! At 141 kph steaming in from over the wicket. This is on a length, pushed across the left-hander. It moves away in the air and Abhishek swings at it but is beaten on the outside edge.

And again! Archer bends his back and bashes the hard length, on off. Abhishek hangs back and throws his hands at the ball but it sails over the flailing blade.

FOUR! On the third time of asking, Abhishek Sharma gets it away rather streakily. This is fuller in length, angling away. Sharma does not move his feet at all and flashes hard at the ball. One hand comes off the bat handle. The ball flies off a thickish outside edge over short third for the first four of the contest.

Goes past the bat! Archer drags the length back and once again, it leaves the left-hander with the angle. Abhishek stays put and throws the kitchen sink at it, only to connect with thin air.

Beaten again. Closer to the off stump, on a nagging length. Sharma tries to use the pace this time by opening the bat face but misses.

An absolute snorter by Archer. Bowled at 141 kph, a sharp short ball, aimed at the batter. Abhishek hops as he tries to fend it down but is rushed and the ball climbs onto him. Sharma stabs it down off an inside edge beside the strip on the leg side.