England Drop Saqib Mahmood Despite Three-Wicket Haul, Announce Playing XI for 2nd T20I vs India

England have made two changes to their playing XI for the second T20I against India. Fast bowler Josh Tongue is set to make his T20I debut for England, while Jofra Archer returns to the side. Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood have been left out to make room for the two pacers.

The opening T20I was abandoned because of rain before England got a chance to bat. Even though the match was washed out, Mahmood impressed with the ball. He picked up three wickets in his four-over spell, giving away 33 runs as India posted 189/7. His wickets included Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma, making his omission a surprise for many. Wood, on the other hand, had a tougher outing, finishing with figures of 0/35 from three overs.

India's T20I record against England in Manchester

India have played two T20Is against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, with both teams winning one match each. The Men in Blue last played at this venue on July 3, 2018, when they registered a memorable eight-wicket victory over England in the opening match of the three-match T20I series.

Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester pitch report

Fast bowlers are expected to get plenty of help from the pitch early in the innings, with both seam movement and swing likely during the powerplay. As the game goes on, the surface should become more helpful for the spinners. Batters who take their time and settle in are likely to score big runs. However, new batters may find it difficult to play aggressive shots straight away, as hitting boundaries could be challenging at the start of their innings.

England’s playing 11 for the 2nd T20I vs India

Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Josh Tongue.