It was expected that Virat Kohli might go with an unchanged pack for one last time in the T20I series. After all, it was the tournament decider and the guests wanted to clinch trophy. However, the Indian captain gave a shock to the fans as he announced the playing XI.
Bhuvneshwar out, Kaul in; Deepak Chahar on debut and replaces Kuldeep Yadav. The Chinaman bowler, who was termed as the ‘key’ for the team by the skipper, found himself benched in the final T20I.
Later, when India finally hammered the Englishmen by 7 wickets and lifted the trophy, Kohli was asked about the major change he went for.
Answering the question, Kohli said, “It was difficult for the bowlers. The pitch was really good to bat on. It was a brutal day for the bowlers.”
“Don’t like to look at hindsight and say we could’ve added another bowler. Guys came up with the good. We’re gonna continue and try different things. You saw the kind of energy and attitude we had on the field. It’s a great way to start the tour,” added Kohli.
The left-arm wrist spinner was punished brutally in Cardiff as he leaked 34 runs off his 4 overs. After the mayhem caused by him in the first match, the English come prepared for him in the second and took the game away from the Kohli and his men’s grip.
Minus Kuldeep, India played only one spinner – Yuzvendra Chahal. He also failed to create an impact, ultimately going wicket-less. On the other hand, the pacers came up with decent result. Especially, Hardik Pandya who picked up 4 wickets for just 38 runs.