Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with three wickets in the second T20I, including the prized scalp of Jos Buttler
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has gotten the ball to swing in the first T20Is against England and hence the rewards have come for the pacer. He has been the standout performer with the ball, and in the second T20I, he returned with three wickets, including the prized scalp of Jos Buttler. This was the second time in the series that Bhuvneshwar got the better of England captain Buttler. This performance helped Team India beat England by 49 runs in the second T20I, hence gaining an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
As soon as Bhuvneshwar dismissed Buttler, Twitter was flooded with praise for the swing bowler.
On the third ball of the third over. Bhuvneshwar pushed his length a little up and the delivery angled across Buttler. The batter looked to play a drive, but he managed to edge it to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The on-field umpire did not deem it to be out, but captain Rohit Sharma went for a review, and replays showed there was a spike, hence the decision was overturned.
Apart from Jason Roy and Buttler, Bhuvneshwar also dismissed Richard Gleeson and hence he returned with a spell of 3-15. After the game, Bhuvneshwar Kumar spoke to reporters during a post-match press conference and he talked about how the ball is swinging for him in the UK, his mindset, and whether he looks forward to playing Test cricket for India.
“Honestly, I do not know. I have been to England many times and it did not swing in the past few series so yes, even I was a bit surprised that the ball was swinging and it is swinging for a long period of time, especially in T20 cricket and there is a bit more bounce in the wicket as well. When the ball swings, you enjoy it more. Honestly, I do not know whether I am swinging it, it is the condition or it is the ball. If the ball is swinging, that is my strength so I look for attacking options then. In both these matches, the ball swung and I attacked and hence I got the wickets,” said Bhuvneshwar.
India and England will take on each other in the 3rd T20I on Sunday evening at
