ENG vs IND 2nd ODI: How Yuzvendra Chahal Successfully Took On English Batters

After a dominating win in the first ODI, team India were eyeing a win in the 2nd ODI to build an unassailable lead. After winning the toss and fielding first again, India hoped for another intense bowling performance. 

However, the English team, who were bowled out for 110 in the first ODI, were adamant to perform well in the second match. The major onus was on the star trio of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root & Ben Stokes. After the pacers failed to dismiss Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in the first 10 overs, the onus was on master spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to stop the English batters. 

Primarily, the battle was between aggressive Jonny Bairstow and wise spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The English opener usually slog sweeps or hoicks across the line against spin. On the other hand, Chahal bowled the sliders and his stock ball while varying his pace and shifting his lines.

At the start of his spell, Chahal was more focused on an off-stump line and kept the length a little short, while occasionally bowling the slider. On the 5th delivery of the 13th over, Chahal flighted the ball. Bairstow accepted the challenge as he lofted the ball over the cover fielder. 

In Chahal's next over, the spinner changed his line from off to around middle and leg-stump. This was a risky tactic as Bairstow specialises in sweep shot and the boundary was shorter on the leg side. However, Yuzvendra Chahal, with a big heart, was ready to go for runs to get wickets. 

With his altering lines, Chahal managed to trap Bairstow in front as the batter missed the sweep shot and was clean bowled. While Joe Root, who is known to play the sweep shot against spin after defending a ball, and consequently Chahal gave the ball some air and pitched it around the middle and leg stump after Root defended one, was trapped in front. 

Similar to Bairstow and Root, Stokes had the plan of sweeping the leg spinner. However, his plan was to reverse sweep since he is a left-hander. Stokes went for a switch hit against Chahal and the spinner pulled back his length and got one to drift, beating Stokes and dismissing him LBW. 

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Yuzvendra Chahal also went on to dismiss Moeen Ali and ended with 4 wickets to his name in 10 overs while giving away 47 as England were bowled out for 246 in 49 overs. However, England pacer Reece Topley shattered the Indian batting lineup with his 6 wickets for 24 runs in 9.5 overs, restricting India to 146/10 in 38.5 overs and winning the second ODI by 100 runs, levelling the 3-match series 1-1. The decider ODI will be played on Sunday (July 17th) at Old Trafford, Manchester.