India vs England: Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 72 seals two-wicket win for hosts

Brydon Carse’s efforts with bat and ball were in vain as England suffered a two-wicket defeat to India in the second T20 international.

Asked to bat first again, England bettered their total from the first match of the series when they posted a competitive, if not particularly imposing,165-9 in Chennai.

Captain Jos Buttler top scored for England for the second match in succession as he struck a characteristically fluent 45 off 30 balls.

When Buttler holed out to deep mid-wicket off Axar Patel to leave England 77-4, India’s spinners threatened to cut England’s middle order apart.

However, Jamie Smith confidently hit 22 of 12 balls on his T20 international debut before Carse bludgeoned 31 off 17 to ensure the tourists posted a semi-competitive total.

Carse then spearheaded England’s efforts in the field by claiming 3-29 from his four overs, including the wicket of India captain Suryakumar Yadav, as India made hard work of the chase.

India teetered on 78-5 but Tilak Varma mixed aggressive strokeplay – hitting five sixes – with intelligent running between the wickets during a mature knock.

The left-hander came into the middle after the ninth ball of India’s innings and remained composed as he batted through for an unbeaten 72.

Tilak was on strike with India requiring six runs to win off the final over of the game, bowled by Jamie Overton, and duly got it done with four balls to spare by thwacking the England seamer’s second delivery through the covers for four.

More to follow.