Bethell Powers England to Four-Wicket Win as Sooryavanshi Makes Eventful Debut

England rode on a brilliant unbeaten knock from Jacob Bethell to defeat India by four wickets in the second T20 International at Old Trafford on Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series .

The match, which marked the much-anticipated international debut of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , ultimately belonged to Bethell, whose aggressive batting turned the contest in England's favour during a successful chase of 191 .

India made early inroads through Arshdeep Singh , who removed openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. However, England captain Harry Brook launched a fierce counterattack, smashing 39 off just 15 balls and taking 27 runs from one Arshdeep over to shift momentum back towards the hosts.

After Brook's dismissal, Bethell took charge alongside Tom Banton , with the pair adding 67 runs for the fourth wicket. While India briefly clawed their way back into the game through wickets from Axar Patel and Arshdeep, the decisive moment came in the 17th over.

Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi endured a difficult outing, conceding 29 runs , including two no-balls. Bethell capitalised fully, striking three towering sixes as England reached the target with an over to spare. Bethell remained unbeaten on 76 off 46 balls , while Banton contributed 39.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, India posted 190 for 7 . Sooryavanshi's debut innings lasted only 10 balls but provided glimpses of his immense talent. The teenager struck two sixes and scored 14 before being stumped off Will Jacks .

India's innings was built around useful contributions from Abhishek Sharma (43) , Ishan Kishan (49) and captain Shreyas Iyer (37) . However, England's bowlers consistently applied pressure through clever variations and disciplined execution.

Sam Curran was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 3 for 33 , while Jacks, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid kept the scoring rate under control during the middle overs. India's total received a late boost when Tilak Varma smashed 17 runs in the final over , finishing unbeaten on 24 from 11 deliveries.

Despite an encouraging debut from Sooryavanshi, England's superior bowling effort and Bethell's match-winning innings proved decisive as the hosts secured an important victory and seized the early advantage in the series.