Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 6 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Maninder Singh on Monday expressed his disappointment following India's 4-wicket loss to England in the 2nd T20I. He highlighted that despite India being in a strong position until the 16th over, crucial errors cost them the match.
Speaking to ANI, Maninder particularly criticised the 17th over, where Ravi Bishnoi conceded 29 runs, citing the importance of disciplined bowling in modern T20 cricket.
"It was very disappointing, because till the 16th over I felt that this game was in India's pocket. But the way Bishnoi put in the 17th over and the way he bowled no-balls, cutting the side line, I feel that the coaching staff with the team, it is their job to help him," he said.
Maninder expressed disappointment with the loss, pointing out that bowling no-balls in T20S is a "crime". "When bowlers are practising in the nets, the bowling coach isn't paying enough attention to their positioning or whether they might bowl a no-ball during a match. In today's cricket, I consider bowling a no-ball a crime. We lost the match because of the 29 runs Bishnoi conceded in the 17th over," he added.
Meanwhile, Maninder Singh supported the newly appointed T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer, noting the lack of preparation time compared to his IPL role with Punjab Kings and backed Shreyas to make a comeback and get his first win as T20I captain soon.
"His first win will come. As captain of PBKS, he knows his players very well because they hold a long camp before every IPL, which allows him to get to know everyone. He hasn't had that kind of time here, but he is a captain with a good head on his shoulders who thinks really well. His winning streak will come; he knows how to motivate the boys. Once he has a team of his choice, it will start to make a difference," he added.
He also shared his thoughts on debutant Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the ongoing batting struggles, which have appeared shaky throughout the UK tour. He noted Tilak Varma's struggles with his strike rate, Sanju Samson's lack of form, and Ishan Kishan's 40-ball 49-run knock in Manchester, a performance significantly slower than his usual explosive standards.
The former cricketer highlighted the stark contrast between English and Indian conditions and the adjustment period required for players, especially following the high-scoring "run-fest" of the 2026 IPL. He further suggested that the squad should have travelled much earlier to acclimatise.
"I am a little worried about India's batting struggles because the conditions are so different," he said. "The conditions in England are totally distinct from those in India."
He explained the technical difficulties players face, stating, "When you play in the IPL, you get batting pitches where the ball comes onto the bat perfectly, making it easy to play shots. Here in England, it is a bit more uncertain; even in the summer with the sun out, there is still moisture in the air. In India, pitches have a different kind of bounce. Yesterday, we saw that when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or Abhishek Sharma tried to hit big shots early on, they were tested by the bounce."
"It takes time for players to adjust," he added. "That is why I felt that if they had gone on tour earlier and played some practice matches, they would have adapted more quickly. When you go from playing on Indian surfaces to these conditions, you cannot expect a sudden transition. These minor problems will persist for the Indian batters until they adjust."
India opted to bat first and handed Sooryavanshi a much- anticipated international debut, making him the youngest Indian international player at 15 years and 99 days. Sooryavanshi could last only 10 balls, scoring 14 on his debut with two sixes. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma (43 in 24 balls, with eight fours and a six) and Shreyas lyer (37 in 22 balls, with three fours and a six) played entertaining knocks.
Ishan Kishan (49 in 40 balls, with six fours) put up 65 runs for the third wicket with lyer. Following that, India collapsed from 130/2 to 165/6. Tilak Varma (24* in 11 balls, with a four and two sixes) played a quickfire cameo to take India to 190/7 in 20 overs.
Sam Curran (3/33) was England's best bowler.
In the chase, England lost both their openers, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, for ducks, their first time in T201s. However, England made a solid enough recovery courtesy of a quickfire knock from skipper Harry Brook (39 in 15 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), who put on a fifty-run stand with Jacob Bethell.
Bethell put in a 67-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tom Banton (39 in 32 balls, with six fours) before Banton and Witt Jacks' wickets reduced England to 133/5 in 15.2 overs.
Bethell (76* in 46 balls, with five fours and five sixes) changed the course of the game by upping the gears in slog overs, ending the chase in 19 overs with Jofra Archer (10%).
England takes a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with three matches left for India to make an impact. The first T201 ended in a washout. (ANI)
