ENG vs IND T20Is: Performance of India’s top 5 T20 bowlers against England

Virat Kohli’s Men in Blue will begin their long English summer on Tuesday, July 3, by taking on the hosts in the first of the three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) at Old Trafford Manchester. India although have beaten England five times in T20Is, they have never won against them in England in a T20I while they have lost three games, including one in the World Twenty20 in 2009.

While India look to win their first T20I against England tomorrow and then the series, we take a glance of how India’s best bowlers in this format have done against the same opponent since they first played each other in the 2007 World Twenty20. Of the top five Indian bowlers in T20Is, only Yuzvendra Chahal has been picked in the current Indian squad touring England. The other one, Jasprit Bumrah, will miss out because of a thumb injury on his non-bowling hand.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin (52 wickets in 42 matches; average 22.94; economy 6.97; best bowling: 4 for 8)

Ravichandran Ashwin, who was India’s No.1 spinner till a few days ago but struggled to keep his place in competition with the freshers, still remains India’s top bowler in T20Is with 52 scalps in 42 games. However, the off-spinner has an ordinary record against England with just one wicket in five games at an average of 165 and economy rate of 8.25.

In England, Ashwin has got no T20I wicket in two games and has an economy rate of 9.25. At home, he has one wicket in three matches at an average of  91 and economy rate of 7.58. Ashwin’s only T20I wicket against England has been Michael Lumb who he got lbw-ed in Pune in 2012.

2. Jasprit Bumrah (43 wickets in 35 matches; average 19.93; economy 6.79; best bowling: 4 for 8)

The 24-year-old has often been criticised for his tendency to bowl no-balls in big games but even then, the pacer’s bowling skills have proved to be handy for India on key occasions.

Bumrah has played three T20I matches against England overall and taken five wickets in those three matches at an average of 12 and economy rate of 6.20. He is yet to play against England in away conditions and all his scalps so far have come at home. Three of his wickets against England came in one game, in Bengaluru in February 2017, where he was overshadowed by Yuzvendra Chahal’s match-winning six-for. He took two wickets in the game before that, in Nagpur, where he was adjudged the man of the match.

3. Yuzvendra Chahal (41 wickets in 23 matches; average 17.19; economy 7.87; best bowling 6 for 25)

The former chess player though gets the batsman’s stick at times, but he is still a bowler who can turn around a game at any moment. Chahal will be Kohli’s trump card in the T20Is and ODIs, especially after his partnership with Kuldeep Yadav clicked in South Africa earlier this year. The English batsmen will also remember Chahal’s 6 for 25 in Bengaluru last year – a figure which had derailed them and gave India the bi-series.

Chahal hasn’t played much for England so far but has taken eight wickets in three games at an average of 10.62 and economy of 7.08, thanks to his six-for in one game. His entire bowling figure against England in T20Is has been registered at home since he, like Bumrah, is yet to play a T20I in England. Chahal, however, has one man of the match and the man of the series awards in the only series he has played versus England (2016-17).

4. Ashish Nehra (34 wickets in 27 matches; average 22.29; economy 7.73; best bowling 3 for 19)

Ashish Nehra played his last T20I against New Zealand last year. The tricky left-handed bowler has 34 wickets in 27 matches but has only three against England in as many matches at an average of 27.66 and economy of 8.30. All his three wickets came in one match (Nagpur) in the series last year.

Nehra has never played in a T20I against England in England.

5. Ravindra Jadeja (31 wickets in 40 matches; average 31.70; economy 7.27; best bowling 3 for 48)

Another prime bowler for India who lost his way among the crowd of newcomers, Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t played a T20I for India for over a year now. He has 31 wickets in 40 matches but only 4 wickets from 4 matches against England at an average of 23 and economy of 6.13 which was the third match of his T20I career.

In England, Jadeja has played two T20Is and took three wickets in them at an average of 20.33 and economy of 7.62. At home, he has just one wicket from two games at an average of 31 and economy of 4.42. His best bowling against England is 2 for 26 registered at Lord’s in the 2009 World Twenty20.

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