IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Commentary - Chennai (25 January 2025)

Great effort from Liam Livingstone to save a couple of runs for his side. This is pitching full and on leg, Tilak Varma flicks it well wide of deep backward square leg and Livingstone moves across at lightning speed, puts in a dive with an outstretched right hand and makes a fantastic stop. The batters take two runs.

FOUR! Tilak Varma takes India home! Jamie Overton lands it full and on off, Tilak Varma crunches his drive through covers and finds the fence. Takes off for a celebratory sprint and acknowledges the cheer from the crowd and his team. With this 2 wickets victory, India take a 2-0 lead in the series. 

Comes back into the attack and fires it full, at the stumps, Tilak Varma whips it to long off but doesn't take the run.

Into the pads, on a fuller length, Varma clips it behind to short fine leg. 

Excellent running this! On a fuller length, on middle, Tilak Varma nudges it in front of deep mid-wicket and calls for two straightaway. Ravi Bishnoi responds accurately and scampers back with a dive. India need 11 runs off 9 balls now. 

Full, on off, Tilak Varma nails the sweep to deep square leg and takes a single. 

FOUR! What a great shot under pressure! Livingstone tosses it up, on middle, Ravi Bishnoi makes room and slices it over backward point for a boundary. India need just 6 more runs now. 

  A huge appeal for LBW, but is turned down by the umpire. England send it upstairs for a review. This is flighted full, on middle and leg, Ravi Bishnoi looks to sweep but is beaten onto his front pad. The UltraEdge shows no spike as the ball passes the bat and the glove. The Ball Tracking confirms the ball to be pitching outside leg and the onfield call of NOT OUT stays. India need 6 runs off 6 balls.

Short of a length, on middle, Tilak Varma pulls it to deep square leg for but doesn't take the run. 

Angling away, on a back of a length, Varma pulls it to long on and scampers for a single. Was keen on two but this was hit a bit too well to the fielder. 

Length, over off, Ravi Bishnoi steers it to deep third and picks up a single. Has a wide smile on his face as he crosses to the other end. 

Hard length, on middle, Tilak Varma covers the line and tucks it to deep square leg for a single. 

FOUR! Well well, that's a great shot and India cross the 150-run mark. Carse fires it full and on middle and leg, Ravi Bishnoi takes a slight step across and just times his flick through the vacant square on the leg side for a boundary. 

On a length, on off, Ravi Bishnoi taps it to the left of the bowler. India need 13 runs off 12 balls now. More importantly, it's Tilak Varma who will be on strike at the start of the next over. 

Lands it on a nagging length, on middle, Tilak Varma drops it down the deck.

Fuller and on off, Varma rocks back and knocks it to cover.

Full and outside off, Tilak Varma pushes it to backward point. Three dots on the trot now. 

Full and turning into the batter, Tilak Varma goes deep in the crease and looks to play it across but gets beaten on the pads. 4 dots on the trot now!

Length, on middle, Tilak Varma nudges it to the off side and gets a single. 

OUT! CAUGHT! Arshdeep Singh picks the fielder and the setup works exactly how England had planned it to. Adil Rashid tosses it up, nice and full with a bit of flight to tempt the batter into the shot. Arshdeep Singh skips on a knee and looks to slog it across but gets it off the outer half of the bat and only as far as deep backward square leg where Jofra Archer takes a simple catch. 

Comes back into the attack and lands this on a good length, on middle, Tilak Varma blocks it down the deck. 

SIX AND FIFTY! A superb knock from the southpaw, leading from the front with composure and flair. However, the job is far from over, and Tilak knows he’ll need to anchor his side all the way to the finish line. Archer digs it short and on the bodyline, Tilak Varma swivels to pull and gets a top edge that take the ball sailing over the keeper's head for a six.

SIX! That's a shot and a half! Back of a length, just outside off, Tilak Varma stands tall and slaps it over point for a biggie. 

Length, on off, Tilak Varma turns it across for a single.

FOUR! Not very convincing but will not matter for India! Archer follows the batter making room way down the leg side and fires it full at the crease, Arshdeep Singh swipes across and gets an inside edge that races past the keeper to his right and finds the fence. 

Full and on middle and leg, Arshdeep Singh makes room yet again and slices it aerially over cover for a couple of runs. 19 runs come off that over and India need just 21 more runs off 24 balls. 

Tossed up, full and around off, Varma leans on and plays it across through wide mid on for a single.

Nice and full again, angled into the leg stump, Patel takes the front leg out and plays it on the up to long on for one more.

FOUR! Top shot! Tossed up around middle, Tilak Varma brings out the reverse sweep and nails it up and over short third for a boundary.

Darted in full on middle and leg, Tilak Varma uses his feet and jams it down to long on for a run.

OUT! CAUGHT! Unnecessary from Axar Patel and the gamble has paid off for Jos Buttler and England. Nicely tossed up by Liam Livingstone, a bit full and floated up on middle and leg. Axar takes the front leg out and looks to slog it away over deep mid-wicket but doesn't get the timing right. The ball goes straight down the throat of Ben Duckett at the deep mid-wicket fence and he makes no mistake. Indian lose their seventh and England are right back in it.

Full and straight, pushed back to the bowler. 40 needed now off 30 balls.

England have just received their first warning for not starting the over on time. Back of a length, angling across off, Varma stays back and taps it wide of point for a single.

Full and straight, Sundar leans on and punches it back firmly, Brydon Carse sticks out a right hand and the ball deflects away to mid off as the batters scamper across for one.

Pitched up again on middle and leg, Tilak Varma drives it on the up to long on for a single.

OUT! TIMBER! Brydon Carse yet again gets England back into the game. Carse comes from over the stumps and hits the good length on leg at 139 clicks, getting the ball to just naturally angle away. Washington Sundar stays back and makes a bit of room to guide it fine on the off side but the ball skids on and beats the bat to smash into the stumps. Sundar departs for 26 and India are now 116/6!

Banged in well short now and angled across the off stump, Axar Patel reaches up and across to lay bat on it but misses. Wide called.

Hits the deck hard and bowls it on middle and leg, Patel jams it out on the off side for one.

Drop and run! Fuller in length, bowled on off and middle, Varma bunts it out on the off side and picks up a single.

Slips in a quick delivery, back of a length and around off, Tilak Varma stays back and taps it on the head, to dab it down to deep third for a single.

DROPPED! Adil Rashid has put down a sitter here! Just back of a length over middle and leg at 145 clicks, Washington Sundar backs away to smash it on the up but is hurried. The ball gets lobbed up quickly to the right of mid on as Rashid scampers across and spills it out. The batters get a single.

Another one that is banged in short and at the batter, Varma mistimes the pull just on the leg side and picks up an easy single.

NO BALL! Quick and banged in over middle and leg, Sundar backs away and tries to run it off the face of the bat but is beaten for pace. That one was bowled at over 150 clicks and also, Wood has overstepped here. Free Hit coming up...

SIX! The Free Hit has proved very costly for England. Short again at the bodyline and at a searing 152 clicks, Washington Sundar just gets inside the line and swings at it, nailing it over deep backward square leg for a biggie.

FOUR! Sundar going hard and going big again. Wood comes around the wicket and bangs it in on a hard length, angling it in over middle, Sundar backs away, takes the front leg out and smacks it well over mid off for a boundary.

FOUR! Back to over the wicket but the result is the same and England have let it slip big time here. Quick and short over middle, Washington Sundar lines him up and backs away to forehand-smash it back over mid off for another boundary. 18 off that over and 31 off the previous 2 overs in total.

FOUR! Banged in a bit short and over leg, Sundar whips it off the hips and gets it wide of fine leg. Adil Rashid scampers across and dives in to save a couple of runs. However, the replays roll in and Rashid's trailing leg has just brushed the top of the ropes and it will be a boundary.

Hard length around the top of off, angling away, dabbed down to deep third for one.

FIVE WIDES! Oh, that is a real gift and that's poor bowling from Overton. Banged in halfway down the track and over middle, this one just flies over the batter's and the keeper's head for a boundary.

Back of a length and around off, Varma stays back and nudges it down past short third for a single.

Hard length on leg, just nipping back in, Sundar clears the front leg to heave but misses and gets a blow in the groin region.

Goes fuller and outside off, in the blockhole, seemed like the slower one, Sundar stays leg side of the ball and jams it out to covers.

Pitched up on leg stump, Washington Sundar picks it up and heaves it across wide of long on for a couple of runs. Two taken and 13 runs come off that over.

Shortish length on leg, turning back in, Washington Sundar presses back and tucks it away behind square leg for a single.

Flatter one, sliding it across the off stump on a length, Varma backs away and taps it down into the off side for a quick single.

Trying to be cheeky there Sundar! Nicely floated up, slower and on leg, Sundar looks for the reverse sweep but misses it completely and the ball goes off the arm onto the leg side.

Flattens it up and bowls it at the stumps, Sundar backs away and pushes it out on the off side for a single.

Tossed up again on middle, really slow at just 69 clicks, Varma leans on to make the block.

Pushed through a bit quicker, keeping it full on middle, Tilak Varma plays it out on the off side.

OUT! CAUGHT! Jamie Overton strikes on the very first ball and India lose half their side. Chepauk is stunned at the moment! Overton comes from over the wicket and hits the deck hard, on a back of a length, marginally outside off. Hardik Pandya gets on top of his toes and looks to carve it square on the off side but the line isn't that far away from his body and the extra bounce doesn't help his cause too. He only manages to get an outside edge straight to the keeper, Phil Salt. 

Another one that whizzes past the outside edge. Short of a length, angling away, outside off, Washington Sundar fiddles with the delivery and gets beaten. 

Hard length, over off, Sundar cuts it off the inner half to point.

Short and angling away well outside off, Washington Sundar charges down the track making room but the ball evades his reach as he looks to slice it away.

Short of a length, over middle, Sundar stays put in the crease and dabs it to short third for one. 

Great first over from Overton. Just the single and a wicket off it. Angling across, on a fuller length, well outside off and just within the tramline. Tilak Varma fails to reach for it.

Full, on off, Hardik Pandya taps it to cover.

Tossed up, at the stumps, Hardik Pandya drills it to long off for a single.

FOUR! Nicely done. Short and outside off, generates some extra bounce on this one, Tilak Varma waits deep on the crease andcuts it past short third for a boundary. 

Full, on middle and leg, Tilak Varma gets his bat in front and turns it to deep square leg for a single.

Drags the length down by a bit and at the stumps, Hardik Pandya makes some room and punches it to deep cover for one.

Quicker through the air, nice and full, just outside off, Tilak Varma glides it to short third. 

Hard length, on leg, Tilak Varma clips it to deep backward square leg for one. 

Hits the deck hard, on a good length, over middle, Dhruv Jurel nudges it in front of point and turns the strike over. 

Length, around off, Varma angles it late to deep third for one.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust and India are in trouble at 66/4! Carse bangs it into the deck, on a back of a length, just outside off, Dhruv Jurel is hurried into his shot with the pace as he looks to pull. Hits it off the upper half of the bat and right in front of Rehan Ahmed stationed at short mid-wicket. Rehan gets low and takes a sharp catch to pick it up inches from the turf. 

FOUR! Wow, what a shot to get off the mark! Very full, outside off, Hardik Pandya stays rooted in the crease and caresses his shot through covers for a boundary. 

Great effort from Ben Duckett to save a boundary. Angling in, on a length, Hardik pulls it to the right of deep square leg. Duckett is quick to scamper across and dives to flick the ball in, keeping it down to just the one. 

Rashid comes into the attack and starts with a full one, on off, Dhruv Jurel eases it to deep cover for a single.

Full around middle, turning back in sharply, Tilak Varma rocks back seeing the length to be short but is undone by the turn. Squeezes it out to short fine. 

Tossed up, on middle, Tilak Varma lunges to tuck it behind square on the leg side and misses. The ball goes off his pads and he picks up a leg bye.

Short and on middle, Dhruv Jurel prods out and adjust to the lack of pace this time and steers it late to short third for one. 

Short and on off, Tilak whips it back to the bowler. 

Pushed through, nice and full, angling away, outside off, Tilak Varma checks his shot a bit uppishly past the bowler to his right for one.

SIX! Carse is greeted into the attack with a six! HE bangs it short and on middle and leg, right at the head, Tilak Varma swivels a bit and pulls it from very close to his body and gets the ball sailing behind short third for a biggie. 

Angling away, very full and outside off, Tilak Varma looks to reach for it but misses.

Keeps it tight on a length, on off, Varma taps it to mid off and takes a single.

OUT! PLAYED'ON! Brydon Carse gets a wicket in his very first over and England are back in it. Hits the hard length, around off, coming in with the angle at good pace. Suryakumar Yadav hops to drop it down the deck but gets and inside edge that drops down and skids through to rattle into the stumps. 

Short of a length, on middle, Jurel pulls it to deep square leg for a single. 

Back of a length, angling away, outside off, Tilak Varma looks to slash at it but is beaten by the pace. India end the Powerplay at 59/3!

FOUR! Crashed through the off side! A hard-length delivery at 147 clicks, around the top of off, Varma is quick to back away and stays low before slashing it away past point for a boundary.

SIX! Wow, that is some shot from Tilak Varma. Archer goes full now and bowls it around off at over 150 clicks, Varma threatens to get across but stays put and just flicks it up and over deep backward square leg for a biggie.

Around the wicket now and nails it into the blockhole on off, Varma blocks it out to covers.

SIX! Top edge but Archer's pace has taken that one over the ropes and into the sightscreen. Just under 145 kph, banged in well short and just down leg, Tilak Varma gets inside the line to pull but gets hurried and gets a top edge right back over the keeper's head for a biggie.

Good length, angled into the batter, Tilak Varma gives the charge but picks the slower one and just holds his shape before pushing it away into the off side for a single.

Beaten! Bowled on a hard length and outside off with a hint of away movement on it. SKY backs away and gets low to angle it over short third but misses.

WIDE! Good length, angling down leg, Tilak Varma looks to get inside the line and scoop but misses.

On a hard length in the channel outside off, and darting across the left-hander off the deck, Varma leaves it alone.

Keeps the pace right up and bowls it back of a length, getting the ball to jump off the deck, Varma hops back and manages to keep it down.

A quick bumper now from Wood, at 148 clicks and banged in over middle, Tilak Varma looks to hook it away but is beaten all ends up.

Length ball, fuller and pushed wider of the off stump, Varma crouches down and angles it down to deep third for a single.

FOUR! Just out of reach and will roll away into the fence! Pitched-up delivery, straying onto the pads at 152.7 kph, SKY looks to pick it up and flick but mistimes it a bit and gets it over square leg for a boundary.

Takes pace off now and bowls it back of a length and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav looks to guide it away off the back foot but misses.

Sanju Samson is early to back away and Archer follows him with a quick bumper. Sanju gets hurried while looking to pull and gets a top edge right into the body.

Just over the infield! Short of a length and angled into the rib cage at 148.5 clicks, Samson looks to go hard at the pull but is hurried and mistimes it just over mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

OUT! CAUGHT! Both Indian openers back in the hut and the English pacers have their tails up! Jofra Archer with another quick bumper, bowling it at 148 clicks and at a difficult height over middle and leg. Sanju Samson looks to hang back and take on the pull but is late on it and the ball goes off the sticker of the bat and high towards deep mid-wicket. Brydon Carse was just stationed out there for this shot and Samson has suckered into playing it straight to him. Carse holds on and Archer gets his man. Also, Suryakumar Yadav is the new batter in.

FOUR! That's rocketed to the fence! A bit short and wide, Suryakumar Yadav stays put and just throws his hands at it, cutting it firmly in front of point for a boundary.

WIDE! Attempted slower ball, bowled full and spilled down the leg side for a wide.

FOUR! Pace off again, bowled a fraction short and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav hangs back and cuts it quickly and wide of short third for a boundary.

Geez, that's quick! A proper bumper this, dug in quick and short outside off, Suryakumar Yadav tries to uppercut but can't lay bat on it.

Oh, that is prodigious movement! Wood bangs it in on a shortish length around off and gets it to seam away. Sanju Samson reluctantly looks to pull and is well beaten.

Hard length in the channel outside off, seaming away a touch, Samson guides it down to deep third for a single.

WIDE! Pitched up on leg and swinging down the leg side, Sharma gets across to flick but misses and a wide is called.

OUT! LBW! Oh, that's jagged back in quickly and the umpire's finger goes up. Mark Wood steams in and bangs it in on a hard length on middle at over 147 clicks and falls over as the ball seams back in off the deck. Abhishek Sharma stays put looking to pull but is too quick and he is undone by the pace. Sharma has a chat with Samson and takes the review. Clearly no bat involved and Ball Tracking shows that the ball actually would have held its line and would have crashed into middle stump. England see the back of the aggressive Abhishek Sharma early on.

Hard-length delivery, angling back into the pads, Varma tucks it away neatly behind square leg and picks up a single.

Wood falls over again on the followthrough but hits the mark with his line and length. Quick and on a good length around the top of off, Samson pats it down wide of mid on for a single.

This is bowled fuller and on leg stump, Tilak Varma nudges it out on the leg side.

Gets a good hand on it! Archer steams in from over the wicket and digs it in short right away, at the front shoulder. Sanju Samson mistimes the pull to the left of square leg where the fielder dives across and makes a half stop. The batters get a single and Samson is off the mark.

Too hot to handle! Around the wicket to the left-hander, bowled back of a length and outside off, seaming away at searing pace, Abhishek Sharma stands tall to hammer it through covers but misses.

FOUR! Just timed beautifully. Short of a good length and outside off at almost 147 clicks, Sharma just presses back and punches it up and over covers for a boundary to get off the mark.

That's banged in quick and short outside off, zipping through off the deck, Abhishek Sharma looks to go after it but is well beaten.

FOUR! Oh, that's aggressive from Abhishek Sharma. Archer clocks in at 146 KPH and angles it in on a good length, Sharma just backs away and gives the charge before hammering it over extra cover for another boundary.

FOUR! Up and over! Shorter in length again and outside off, at over 149 clicks, the deep third fielder was just brought in and Sharma gets across to flail it away exactly in that area for another boundary. India 13/0 after the first over of the chase!