Bhuvneshwar Kumar snatched three wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal each took two, as India knocked out England for 121 in the second T20I in Edgbaston to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Following their introduction, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, the latter opening for the first time in T20Is, guided India to a total of 49 in 4.5 overs. England regained control in the middle overs, with debutant Richard Gleeson dismissing Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Pant in ten balls. 

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India was down to 89 for 5 in the 11th over after Chris Jordan dismissed Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya off consecutive deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja, who came in for Axar Patel in the playing XI, then hit an unbeaten 46 off 29 balls to help India reach 170 for 8.

India will walk into the third T20 match with a fiery bowling arsenal and a fairly confident batting lineup.

It’s a strange old summer in England, where the red Dukes Test ball is moving less and softening faster, while the white Kookaburra is not only swinging, but swinging for longer than usual.

It is odd that such an important component of the competition is not homogenised, but it is also odd that so little study on such an important part of a professional sport is available in the public sphere. Its players are practically willed into being at the mercy of the balls that are thrown at them.

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“Honestly I don’t know that [why the ball is swinging],” Bhuvneshwar Kumar spoke after India won a 2-0 T20I series against England. “Because I’ve been here quite a few times and it didn’t swing in the last few series I’ve played here.”

“So yes, even I was very surprised that the white ball is swinging and swinging for a long period of time, especially in the T20 format. And that there’s more bounce in the wicket as well. So yes, when the ball swings you enjoy more. But honestly, I don’t know if I’m swinging it, [if it is] some conditions or it’s the ball, but yes, I’m glad it’s swinging,” Kumar added.

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India will look forward to making a clean sweep of the series at Trent Bridge on Sunday as England will fight to save face.